Thief assumes church role to scam members of cash

MILTON, Ga. — After buying $3,500 in Amazon gift cards for an individual claiming to be a member of her church, a Milton woman reported to police June 14 she had been scammed with a fraudulent phone number.

An unidentified suspect claiming to be “Father Matthew” texted the woman he needed $3,500 in Amazon gift cards. The woman then bought 35 gift cards over the course of three days. The suspect requested pictures of the cards’ redeem numbers, and the woman complied.

The real Father Matthew confirmed he did not ask for Amazon cards. He also said the suspect had scammed half of the church already by using his name to gather funds.