Church says FAKE priest targeting Fostoria residents in new scam: Police reportedly investigating

FOSTORIA, OH (TiffinOhio.net News) — Holy scam!

According to a release from St. Wendelin Catholic Parish in Fostoria, a person is posing as one of the church’s priests in an attempt to “make a quick buck.”

“Friends, we’ve received word that someone is contacting individuals, by text, impersonating our beloved Fr. Todd [Dominique], asking them to purchase gift cards for a sick friend,” the church posted on its Facebook page earlier this week.

A source close to church leadership tells TiffinOhio.net that Fr. Dominique was reportedly “shocked” to hear of the news.

“The scammer asks that you purchase a gift card and send a photo to them with the back scratched off. The scammer knows basic information about our office staff and so the request seems almost legitimate. Please, Fr. Todd would never do this. It is a scam,” the post continued.

The church says the Fostoria Police Division is investigating the scam. “If you have received a request such as this please contact the parish office and, most importantly, please pray for this individual and those involved,” a spokesperson for St. Wendelin said.