A deliverance or exorcism ministry is charging escalating fees for multiple sessions. Is this legitimate?
Charging significant, escalating fees for repeated deliverance or exorcism sessions, especially without a clear endpoint, is a common pattern used to extract ongoing payments from vulnerable people and is not how established religious institutions typically handle these requests.
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
Explanation
Deliverance and exorcism ministries exist within various religious traditions, but established institutions that offer these services typically do so through a formal, accountable process, often free or at a nominal cost, following specific protocols with oversight from religious authorities. A scam version of this practice presents deliverance as an ongoing paid service, charging a fee for an initial session and then claiming additional sessions, each with a new fee, are needed because the process is not yet complete.
This pattern specifically targets people experiencing genuine psychological distress, unexplained physical symptoms, or personal crisis, who are especially vulnerable to a compelling explanation and a promised solution. Because the underlying distress often has causes, such as mental health conditions, that are not resolved by the ministry's services, the person may return for repeated paid sessions without improvement, sometimes escalating in cost as the ministry claims progressively more serious spiritual issues are being uncovered.
A legitimate religious authority approached about deliverance or similar concerns typically does not charge escalating fees, works within established institutional oversight, and, when appropriate, will also encourage the person to seek qualified medical or mental health care alongside any spiritual support offered.
Common red flags
- Fees are charged for deliverance or exorcism sessions and increase with each additional session
- The ministry claims progressively more serious spiritual issues to justify continued paid sessions
- No affiliation with, or oversight from, an established, accountable religious institution
- The ministry discourages seeking medical or mental health evaluation for symptoms
- Pressure to return for further paid sessions before the 'process' is complete
What to do now
- Seek evaluation from a licensed medical or mental health professional for any unexplained symptoms or distress
- Contact an established, accountable religious institution rather than an independent ministry charging fees for this specific service
- Be wary of any deliverance service that charges escalating fees across multiple sessions
- Discuss the situation with a trusted family member or your regular faith community before continuing
- Report the ministry to consumer protection authorities if it made specific false or exploitative claims tied to payment
Frequently asked questions
Do established religious institutions ever charge for these services?
Practices vary by tradition, but established institutions typically do not treat this as an ongoing paid service with escalating fees, and many offer it as part of normal pastoral care at no direct cost, so an escalating fee structure is the key warning sign rather than any fee at all.