Dear Editor, An all too common scam has arrived at the virtual doorsteps of the members of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Excelsior Springs. In the scam, someone impersonating the pastor contacts church members asking them to purchase gift cards immediately and then send the gift card numbers and PINs to the pastor so that he can use them to help people who are in trouble. Instead of providing the pastor’s phone number, the scammers give their phone number so they gain access to the gift cards you have purchased.When I was informed that this scam was being perpetrated on members of Mount Calvary, I worked with the leaders of the congregation in the following ways to defend against it. We contacted church members as quickly as possible to give them a heads up about this scam. We contacted other pastors in our fellowship to see if they had been targeted and found out how common this scam is. And we contacted local law enforcement to get their input on ways to deal with this...