Pay To Pray Scam Ends, Deemed ‘Lowest Of The Low’ By Attorney General

For Christians, the power of prayer works miracles. Many people cry out in desperation, connecting with one another for prayer needs that consume their lives. Health concerns, financial problems, marital issues — the list is long and fraught with fear and uncertainty. Pay to pray scams take advantage of those in desperate circumstances by promising prayer for a price. Of course, the money is collected without services rendered.

a “For-Profit” “prayer center” deemed fraudulent. Go figure. Folks, if you’re paying for it, it ain’t prayer. https://t.co/xUOGT8v6aQ

— Randy Streu (@randystreu) March 18, 2016

One pay to pray scam has finally come to an end. Christian Prayer Center website owner Benjamin Rogovy, of Seattle, Washington, operated this pay to pray website, as well as others, for a huge profit. Not only did the pay to pray scam con man lure individuals to pay for blessings and prayer that should always be free, but the entire company and supposed pastors did not even exist.

Bob Ferguson, Washington state Attorney General, says the pay to pray scam was a hoax, reports ABC News.

“At the basic level, it’s a scam and he was asking people to give money under deceptive circumstances to have prayers done for them…. Pay to pray…. Nothing about it was real.”

Imagine being so desperate for prayer you are willing to pay to receive blessings. Benjamin Rogovy took advantage of these poor people in more ways that one. While customers were led to pay from $9 to $35 dollars to have someone pray for them, an offer would appear after the initial website request and payment, offering extra prayer for extra money. Unbeknownst to customers, this offer was not a one-time thing, but a scam to approve reoccurring monthly payments.

After a year of investigation, the pay to pray scam owner was found to have violated at least two separate laws, says Attorney General Ferguson.

“Rogovy’s actions violate the state Consumer Protection Act, which forbids businesses from making false claims, and the Charitable Solicitations Act, which prohibits churches and charities from using misleading or deceptive statements in any charitable solicitation.”

The double whammy for the one behind the pay to pray scam has resulted in the termination of his websites, which include but are not limited to two pay to pray scams and one Consumer Complaint Agency. Ferguson calls this type of scam the “lowest of the low.”

“In the work that I do as attorney general, I really see the lowest of the low when it comes to scams — this one ranks right up there. It really is as low as you can get. All to make a buck…. The good news is he’s gotta pay it back.”

Judge orders Seattle man to repay $7.8 million for running ‘pay to pray’ website scam https://t.co/MrnWWCxHTK pic.twitter.com/43eWgKNBPw

— Raw Story (@RawStory) March 17, 2016

According to the Christian Post, Benjamin Rogovy has been court ordered to pay back his misled customers, which number as many 165,000. The pay to pray scam victims will receive recompense totaling an astonishing amount that equals nearly $8 million.

Christians believe the power of prayer is multiplied when more people come together to pray for the same cause. This is one way Rogovy hooked his customers and brought them into his pay to pray scam. The Christian Prayer Center website claimed the following was true.

“Local churches and small group prayer lists have been a wonderful way to share the blessings of prayer, but these methods are limited in their ability to rally the true power of thousands of voices all praying in agreement. The Internet has enabled us to build a massive congregation to lift your prayer requests to a whole new level.”

The Attorney General believes in prayer and finds it detestable that one would profit over the devastation of others.

“What I will not tolerate is unlawful businesses that prey upon people — taking advantage of their faith or their need for help — in order to make a quick buck.”

Benjamin Rogovy is one con man who will not be allowed to profit from a pay to pray scam. He is ordered to return the money to his victims, and his websites have been shut down, putting the scam to an end.

[Image via Shutterstock]