Dear Brother Knights,

We want to alert everyone to a recent phishing and spoofing email campaign targeting our councils and assemblies.

Recently, local council leaders have received emails that appear to come from State Deputy Gary Wondra or other state officers, using a display name like "Gary Wondra" but sent from a completely unrelated burner address (such as muchenkonzeer*gmail.com).

The emails ask the recipient to purchase hundreds of dollars in gift cards (e.g., Walmart, Macy's, Apple, VISA) for a donation pledge (such as a veterans' hospice unit), instructing them to scratch off the back, take photos, and email the claim codes.

Please be assured that this is a 100% fraudulent scam. Neither State Deputy Gary Wondra nor any member of the State Council will ever email or text you asking to personally buy gift cards, wire funds, or send photos of scratch-off codes for reimbursements.

Many members ask how these scammers know who to target. It is important to know that our internal databases have not been breached. Instead, these scammers use automated software to "scrape" or harvest publicly available information from local council websites, Facebook groups and pages, bulletin boards, online church bulletins, and online directories. They find the names and email addresses of local officers (like Financial Secretaries), match them with the names of State Council leadership found on public rosters, and use that mapping to create targeted, convincing email campaigns.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Council:

1. Check the Actual Email Address: Scammers can easily change the "Display Name" to look like a state officer, but they cannot hide the actual email address. Always look at the full email address after the sender's name. If it is a generic account (like a random Gmail or Outlook address), it is a scam.
2. Be Wary of "Urgent" Requests: Scammers use artificial deadlines, high-pressure language, or emotional pleas (like immediate charity donations) to get you to act before you think.
3. Never Share Gift Card Codes: Gift cards are treated like cash by scammers. Once a photo of the front and scratched-off back is sent, the money is permanently gone.
4. Verify Electronically or by Phone: If you ever receive a suspicious financial request from a fellow brother or officer, do not reply to the email. Call them directly or use official contact channels to verify.

If you receive one of these emails, do not reply, do not click any links, and do not purchase anything. Please delete the email immediately.

Thanks,

Timothy Schmidt

State Administrator

Kansas State Council

Knights of Columbus

[email protected]

Matt Metzinger

IT Chairman

Kansas State Council

Knights of Columbus

[email protected]