Religious Scams are Up - 'Prosperity Gospel' has Trained a Generation of Pigeons

The article tells us of one scam for $3 million, another for $50
million, and "in a dramatically broader scam, leaders of Greater
Ministries International, based in Tampa, Fla., defrauded thousands of
people of half a billion dollars by promising to double money on
investments that ministry officials said were blessed by God."

How
do people get away with this and why are churchgoers such ripe
pickings? Patricia Struck, president of the securities association and
administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions,
Division of Securities, told AP, "The scammers are getting smarter and
the investors don't ask enough questions because of the feeling that
they can be safe in church." As the article reports, another factor is
in play here:

Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation
Inc. in Dallas, which investigates fraud and televangelism, partly
blames the churches themselves for the problem. Anthony contends that
the "prosperity gospel" - which teaches that the truly faithful are
rewarded with wealth in this life - is creeping into mainstream
churches.