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A New Scam

When I arrived in the office this morning, there was an email waiting for me.  The writer of the email informed me that they had been listening to my sermons online and would like me to be the guest speaker at a special conference they were holding at their church.  They would be glad to cover my travel expenses and would pay me for the services I would preach.  To top it all off, the church was located in London, England.  Who wouldn't jump at a chance for an all-expenses paid trip to London England?

Well, I am not going to England any time soon. 

What appears at face value to be a gracious offer is, in fact, the latest Nigerian scam.  You remember those scams from the first days of email.  They were usually directed at Christians who would stand to make a lot of money if only they would help a dear brother/sister in Christ who lived in Nigeria.  Of course, in order to help, the North American would be required to either divulge bank account numbers, or send some money to help the process along.

What interests me is the change in tactic.  The first scam appealed to compassion followed by greed.  This new scam appeals to pride.  "They heard my sermons and thought they were so good that they want to fly me all the way to London to speak."  Such a thought could stoke anyone's ego. 

It says something of human nature.  What bait works the best?  Even pastors are vulnerable to having our pride stroked.

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