Officials with the Glenwood Police Department, Thursday, warned area residents of a new text scam involving a person claiming to be a member of the area clergy. In one instance, a person who said they were “Fr Dan Siepker” texted the recipient, and after some back and forth messages, asked for gift cards to be purchased for “a friend [of his] battling cancer in the hospital.”

The “priest” said the patient needed the gift card to download his favorite songs and video “to help boost his confidence, faith and morale in the next phase of his surgery and throughout the therapy.” The scammer also said they would “reimburse” the message recipient, as soon as possible.

Authorities warn THIS IS A SCAM. If you receive a similar text claiming to be from an area priest or minister, do not fall for it! If you have any questions as to the validity of such texts, contact your clergy or a representative of your church.