Clear Path step · Business · Your industry's rules and risks
Announce that leaders never ask for gift cards or payments by message
Everyone has heard from the leader that requests for gift cards or money never come by message.
Why it matters: Impersonating a pastor or director is a standard script because people want to help. Hearing the rule from the leader makes saying no easy.
On your path if you picked “Nonprofit or faith community” for “What's your industry?”.
Do it
- Have the leader say it in person, in the newsletter and in the bulletin.
- Give the callback number to check anything unusual.
- Add it to volunteer onboarding.
- Repeat it at least twice a year.
Say this: If a message from our leader asks for gift cards or money, I call the office number before I do anything.
Check it worked: Staff, volunteers and members have heard, from the leader directly, that they will never be asked by text, email or call to buy gift cards, send money or keep a request quiet.
Simply put
It's like the pastor or director announcing from the front: 'I will never text or email you asking for gift cards or money.' Hearing it from the leader makes saying no easy, because people want to help and scammers count on that.
In detail
Public sermons and videos give scammers plenty of audio to clone a leader's voice, so the rule must cover calls, not just email.
If this is new to you: Not sure how to say it? Try: 'I will never ask you by text, email or phone to buy gift cards or send money.' Then repeat it.
Points toward the Long View: a community that checks any request in the leader's voice, however real it sounds.