Queen of Peace Catholic Church warns congregants about email claiming to be from priest

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Spanish-speaking congregation in Houston was recently warned about an email reportedly from a Catholic church priest asking them to contact a phone number as soon as possible for a favor.

As reported by ABC13's partners at the Houston Chronicle, that priest isn't who he says he is, and the favor isn't as pious as it claims to be.

The Queen of Peace Catholic Church near Gulfgate had to inform its congregants on social media about someone posing as Pastor Ruben Campbell, who presides over the predominantly Latino place of worship.

At the center of the alleged scam is the Spanish-language email that the Chronicle reports mimics others that have targeted Latino communities elsewhere in the country.

"Don't pay attention to this message that has been sent through cell phones to many faithful," the church said on Facebook. "It is not ours. It's a trick, so don't fall for the trap."

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston declined to comment on the emails but pointed to the scams nationwide.

The archdiocese reminded people not to give out financial information to someone over the phone when they haven't verified the person's identity.

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