The BBB has issued a warning. Scammers posing as local priests and pastors are on the rise. There have been reports from the cities of Fort Worth, Waco and Midland.

They will text and call local consumers asking for gift cards or wire transfers, allegedly for charitable purposes.

Better Business Bureau has the following tips:

• Ask questions. Ask the caller their name, what church they work for, what charity they’re collecting for, and anything else you can think of. Some scammers may hang up, others may give you answers.
• Do your research. Search online to see if the church is actually real, or in your area. Also be sure to research the charity they claim to be donating to; you can go to give.org and view charity reports through BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance.
• Call the church. If the caller gives you the name of a church in the area, look up their phone number and call to ask if they are actively collecting for charity. If they are not collecting donations, they may want to know that people are using their church’s name in a scam so they can warn local consumers & parishioners to be on the lookout.
• Report it. If a scammer contacts you pretending to be a pastor or priest, call your local sheriff’s office and file a report at bbb.org/ScamTracker.

For more on charity scams, visit bbb.org, and check give.org for charities you can trust.