Imagine your pastor — or rabbi or priest or imam, whoever leads your congregation. You receive an email or text from them asking for money to help a community member in need. Do you give?

Congratulations, you may have just been scammed.

Attorney General Chris Carr is warning Georgians of an imposter scam targeting faith-based communities in which fraudsters pose as religious leaders to try to trick congregants into sending them money.

“With advancements in technology, it’s easier than ever for criminals to hide their true identity, which is why we continue to hear about imposter scams,” said Carr. “Consumers should be very suspicious of any emails or texts asking them to send money even if they appear to come from a trusted source.”

There are different variations to these imposter scams. In one version, scammers set up Gmail accounts that display the actual name of the rabbi, priest, pastor or imam. The fraudster then emails the members of the congregation asking for emergency donations to help someone in need and instructs the recipients to purchase iTunes gift cards and mail them to a different address. In another version, scammers pose as real religious leaders and send texts or emails to congregants requesting they send money via gift cards.

Helping others is critical for the well-being of our community, but it takes only a moment to check with the person the message appears to be from.

If you’ve already sent money to a scammer, it may be hard to get it back, but here are some steps Carr recommends to boost your chances of recovering your funds:

— Immediately Report the Fraud: As soon as you become aware of the fraud, immediately contact the appropriate financial provider, money transfer company, or gift card provider so you have the best chance of recovering your money and minimizing any damage done to your finances or credit record.

— Contact Law Enforcement: File a report with your local law enforcement agency, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at (404) 651-8600 or consumer.ga.gov, and the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

— If Scam Transactions are Hurting your Credit: Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to request your free credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. If you notice any unauthorized collection items, loans or credit cards, contact the three major credit reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion – to dispute them. Freezing your credit is also a great way to stop unauthorized accounts from being opened. To learn more about how this process works, visit https://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-topics/credit-freeze.

For additional tips, visit the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division website, https://consumer.georgia.gov/scams-what-do-if-youve-lost-money-scam.

The writer of the song “The Rose” warned, “It’s the one who won’t be taken / who cannot seem to give …” but a bit of caution may help keep your charity from landing in the hands of a thief.