Conman Claiming To Be Beaver Dam Priest

(Beaver Dam) A scam artist is using the name of a Beaver Dam priest in the latest con making the rounds. On Monday, WTMJ reported that Whitefish Bay Police learned about someone contacting Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese parishioners and pretending to be Father Timothy Kitzke. That was sad news to hear for Father Mike Erwin of St. Katharine Drexel in Beaver Dam who was surprised to learn on Tuesday that his own name was being used in a similar scam.

The suspect in Milwaukee requested someone purchase gift cards and send photographs of the gift cards and pin numbers to a cell phone number. Erwin says that’s the same thing that happened in Beaver Dam when a parishioner was solicited by text message. The grifter did not use Father Erwin’s actual phone number.

Erwin did reach out to the Milwaukee Archdiocese and learned that the names of four other priests have been used in a similar scam. While the victim in Milwaukee lost money, the conman who used Father Erwin’s name did not get anything. At last word, there has only been one attempt to use Father Erwin’s name to get gift cards.