Benjamin Rogovy: Washington Attorney General Shuts Down ‘Pay-To-Pray’ Website, Owner To Pay $7.7 Million In Damages
Benjamin Rogovy’s Washington-based “pay-to-pray” websites were shut down by Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Wednesday. According to reports, the fraudulent business practices of fleeced over $7,750,000 from over 165,000 people across the country. Ferguson also stated that an agreement had been reached to reimburse victims of the deceitful business practices.
Benjamin Rogovy, a Seattle, Washington, businessman, ran pay-to-pray websites oracioncristiana.org, christianprayercenter.com, and the Christian National Church, offering his controversial praying services to desperate Spanish and English speakers who paid between $9 and $35.
According to the Guardian, Rogovy created fictitious ministers, who he claimed were available for consultation and performing religious ceremonies. The websites also posted fake “power of prayer” testimonials as a means of enticing money from unsuspecting victims.
The sites used stock photos as “evidence” that prayers had averted foreclosures, cured cancer and HIV, and even helped someone winning the lottery.
Rogovy also encouraged his victims to sign up for a monthly subscription using their credit cards, enticing them with empty promises of ongoing good fortune.
The actions of Benjamin Rogovy violate Washington’s Consumer Protection Act, which protects consumers from deceptive business practices, and the Charitable Solicitations Act, a bylaw that bans churches and charities from making misleading statements when requesting money.
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
Benjamin Rogovy’s Washington-based websites drew the anger of Attorney General Rob Ferguson, who condemned the business, deeming it “unfair and deceptive.” Ferguson demanded that Rogovy return all the money he took from innocent customers or face civil penalties if he failed to comply.
“I believe in the power of prayer,” Ferguson said in a released statement. “What I do not believe in and 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.”
He revealed that after consumers paid for a prayer request; they were diverted to a page where they could be charged monthly for “continued blessings.” According to investigations, between 2011 and 2015, over $7 million was realized from over 400,000 transactions. Many of the customers were charged repeatedly.
Benjamin Rogovy’s Washington-based websites did not only revolve around prayer for profits. He also ran a rip-off agency known as the Consumer Complaint Agency that promised to fight for the rights of consumers who had complaints about businesses. According to reports, the website charged people as much as $25 for forwarding complaints to the appropriate authorities.
At 5pm- “Pay to Pray”? The controversial practice one church is using to fill its pocketbook. #liveonOKCFOX pic.twitter.com/vSqJjumbXC
— Wendy Suares (@wsuares) February 26, 2016
As of the time of this report, the pay-to-pray business still had a functioning Facebook page but the websites had been shut down, with messages thanking people for their patronage.
“We thank you for all the prayers, and we cherish the opportunity to have created a place where Christians could meet to support each other.”
The websites referred people to other online prayer centers, ironically centers that did not ask for payments in return. Anyone looking for refunds from Benjamin Rogovy’s Washington-based websites must lodge a complaint with the State Attorney General’s office by June 12. Full refunds are only available for those who paid money to the religious sites between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2015.
The Attorney General said those affected will receive an email telling them when a refund would be issued. According to Ferguson, people who paid money to the Consumer Complaint Agency will get their $25 checks in the mail without filing a formal complaint.
Benjamin Rogovy’s Washington-based websites defrauded an estimated 40,000 people nationwide to the tune of $750,000.
[Image via Ruslan Grumble/Shutterstock]
