United Methodist Church Conference Loses 1.6 Million Dollars in Cybersecurity Scam
The New England and New York conference of the United Methodist Church lost more than $1.6 million after scammers posed as bank representatives and executed unauthorized wire transfers. The incident highlights growing cybersecurity risks facing religious organizations. Church officials have not disclosed whether any funds have been recovered.
The New England and New York conference of the United Methodist Church reported a loss of more than $1.6 million after falling victim to a cybersecurity scam in which criminals posed as bank representatives to authorize fraudulent wire transfers.
The scheme involved perpetrators contacting church financial staff and impersonating officials from the conference's bank. The fraudsters convinced staff to execute wire transfers, draining the funds before the deception was discovered. Church officials have not publicly disclosed whether any of the money has been recovered or whether law enforcement has identified suspects.
The incident was reported in September 2026 and drew attention from religious media outlets covering the growing threat of financial fraud targeting faith-based organizations. Churches and nonprofits have increasingly become targets for wire transfer scams, which exploit the trust-based culture of religious institutions and sometimes limited cybersecurity training among staff.
Cybersecurity experts recommend that organizations require multi-step verification for any wire transfer request, including a direct phone call to a known number at the financial institution, separate from any contact information provided in the request itself.
The United Methodist Church has not released a detailed statement on the incident beyond confirming the loss. The New England and New York conference serves thousands of members across two states and manages significant financial operations, including property, payroll, and ministry funding.
