Faith & Religious Scams

Fraudulent appeals that promise donors financial breakthroughs or miracles in direct proportion to a 'seed' payment sent first, with no return ever materialising.

Look-alike online giving pages that mimic a church or ministry's real tithing portal to redirect regular donations into a scammer's account.

Fraudulent appeals impersonating missionaries or mission organisations that solicit ongoing financial support for work that does not exist.

Fraudulent or non-existent travel packages for religious pilgrimages that take deposits or full payment and fail to deliver promised travel, accommodation, or access.

Fraudulent capital campaigns that solicit donations for a new church building, renovation, or expansion project that is exaggerated, stalled indefinitely, or entirely invented.

Appeals that solicit payment in exchange for a promised miraculous healing, targeting people or families facing serious illness with no medical outcome ever delivered.

Impersonation scams where a fraudster poses by text or email as a pastor, priest, or other clergy member urgently needing gift cards purchased on their behalf.

Investment fraud where a scammer uses shared religious identity and community trust to promote fake or misrepresented investment opportunities within a congregation.

Fraudulent appeals that pose as legitimate zakat or sadaqah collection channels during religiously significant periods, diverting obligatory or voluntary charitable giving away from genuine recipients.

A confidence scam in which victims are persuaded to exchange their own money or valuables for supposedly 'blessed' cash or objects that are later found to be worthless or stolen outright.

The sale of fabricated or misrepresented religious relics, artefacts, or blessed items — often at inflated prices — to collectors and devout buyers seeking spiritual or historical significance.

Phishing campaigns that impersonate well-known televangelists or broadcast ministries to trick viewers into entering payment details or personal information on fraudulent donation pages.

Fraudulent scholarship or seminary funding offers tied to a faith community that require upfront 'processing' or 'registration' fees before any award is released.

Fraud targeting a congregation's benevolence or emergency assistance fund, either by fabricating hardship claims to receive payouts or by diverting fund donations meant to help members in need.

A recurring-payment scam in which a self-described spiritual practitioner convinces a target they are cursed and that only ongoing, escalating payments can remove or hold off the affliction.

Cloned websites and messages impersonating a specific, real temple or mosque's donation channel to intercept congregational and community giving.

Recurring-billing scams tied to online religious content, courses, or community memberships that are misrepresented, never delivered, or difficult or impossible to cancel.

Fraudulent relief campaigns that claim broad, multi-faith or community-wide endorsement to solicit donations for disaster or humanitarian causes that are exaggerated or entirely fictitious.

Bot and impersonation accounts that flood a church's live-streamed sermon chat with fake 'official' donation links, skimming giving away from the real broadcast in real time.

Fraudulent appraisal services that charge an upfront fee to authenticate a religious item the victim already owns, then deliver a fabricated verdict or fail to return the item at all.