A sheriff in the Florida panhandle is warning churches there and in Alabama about two men who are scamming congregations out of money.

Holmes County (Fla.) Sheriff John Tate says the two men approach churches, providing fake names and phony stories to elicit sympathy — and money.

“It’s mostly sob stories to garner sympathy,” said Lauren Morris, Public Information Officer for the sheriff’s office. “A death in the family or, in one case, they told (the victims) that one of them had cancer and they needed money to go for treatment.”

Morris said investigators know the identity of the two men, but have not released that information publicly.

Several churches in Holmes County have fallen victim to the scammers, including two on Easter Sunday.

But investigators have also spoken with law enforcement officials in Alabama who are familiar with the two men and said they have scammed a number of churches in Alabama.

Morris said the Alabama churches involved have been primarily in Geneva and Coffee counties.