Individuals are impersonating Father José Emanuel Amorim, parish priest of Vila Chã in Vila do Conde, contacting parishioners through private messages on social media. The fraudulent messages claim the existence of a debt that would have to be paid with "utmost urgency" and request that recipients make a bank transfer to a specific IBAN.
Father José Emanuel Amorim categorically denies the existence of any debt and guarantees that he never made such a request to parishioners. The priest appealed to the faithful not to make any money transfers in response to these messages.
According to Jornal de Notícias, at least one complaint has been filed with the GNR, the Republican National Guard, regarding this situation of fraud. The police are thus investigating this case of fraud that directly targets members of the parish community.
