Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Police in several communities are investigating a scam artist who they say has been targeting area churches. The man pretends to be a down on his luck member of the military. In reality, he's preying on those with a desire to help their fellow man.

Police say the man has called churches in Wellington and Wichita but his favorite community to target seems to be Newton. There, leaders at five different churches say they've heard from him.

Janelle Paden is the office manager at Grace Community Church in Newton. Office workers there have taken the man's calls several times. They always tell him their church's policy doesn't allow wiring money.

"He wanted money and he usually wanted the money wired to somewhere," said Paden. "And when we said we didn't do that then he'd get irritated."

Paden says the caller ID showed the calls were coming from a South Dakota cell phone. However, the man's story has been that he's stranded at a Newton truck stop where his belongings and wallet have been stolen and he's desperate to get money to get home.

Edith Buller-Breer filed a detailed police report after talking to the man. She tried to offer the man help but he insisted on cash only.

"All he needed were some greenbacks to get down the road. He said that several times during the call," said Buller-Breer.

Hillcrest Community Church minister Jason Reynolds says the man has called their church several times using various names. He says the man claims to be in the military, his mother's died, his pickup's broke down in a Walmart parking lot and needs money wired to him. Reynolds says he checked out the man's story and found out he wasn't where he said he was and the story was just an intricate lie designed to get money.

It's not uncommon for scammers to prey on churches charity. Grace Community Church pastor Steve Friesen says Newton churches are working together to warn other churches about the man.

"When people come to us we do have to check out the story. If the story isn't legitimate we're going to share that with other churches because people are taking advantage of the fact that Christians don't connect with each other," said Friesen.

Newton churches are sharing the stories with each other through emails and by reporting the calls to police. Some churches have already been defrauded so they don't want others to fall prey to the scam.