An official from the diocesan Information and Communication Office stated that the diocese was alerted to a suspicious situation by a religious congregation after it received an email impersonating José Ornelas.
The email content featured the bishop introducing himself, attempting to schedule a potential visit to the congregation, and included references to economic problems faced by priests in Africa, which might lead to a request for financial assistance for these priests.
The fraudulent message was received last week, prompting the Leiria-Fátima diocese to inform authorities, including the Polícia Judiciária.
In a statement released today, the Leiria-Fátima diocese warned that these false messages are not connected to the bishop or his official services.
“These emails are mostly sent from generic server addresses and are often written in a foreign language, usually Spanish. In the reported case, the sender used the address mo**********@***il.com,” it emphasized.
The diocese advises potential recipients that official emails used in its communication, including those from the bishop, are clearly identified by the domains @leiria-fatima.pt or @leiriafatima.pt.
“It is recommended not to respond, click on hyperlinks, or provide personal or financial information. If there is any doubt about a message’s authenticity, we advise contacting the Information and Communication Office (gi*@***********ma.pt), available to clarify any situation,” the source indicated.
