A Seattle-based man and his three companies were ordered to pay as much as $7.75 million to 165,000 consumers worldwide in pay-to-pray scams.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Benjamin Rogovy used systematic deception in running the website Christian Prayer Center that included creating fake religious leaders and posting fake testimonials to lure customers to pay for prayers.
Rogovy also used deceit to run his Consumer Complaint Agency, a for-profit business that promised consumers it would advocate on their behalf regarding their complaints against businesses.
However, the company charged $25 for just forwarding complaints.
The Attorney General's office said Rogovy's actions violated the state Consumer Protection Act, which forbids businesses from making false claims, and the Charitable Solicitations Act, which bars churches and charities from using misleading or deceptive statements in any charitable solicitation.
"I believe in the power of prayer. 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," said Ferguson.
One complaint came from a family which had a child with terminal illness.
Assistant Attorney General Daniel Davies said, "They were looking for hope anywhere they could get it. One of the places they turned to was the Christian Prayer Center," according to The Guardian.
"When they are going through incredibly difficult situations, oftentimes people turn to prayer," Davies added. "They see a website touting that thousands of people will pray for you. They have a pastor, testimonials on the website of people whose prayers were answered.
But the pastor was a sham.
As part of the consent decree, Rogovy does not admit to having violated the law.
Rogovy will also be subjected to $1 million in civil penalties.
The prayer websites christianprayercenter.com and its Spanish-language counterpart, oracioncristiana.org have been shut down.
"Our mission is to provide the strongest network of group prayer to Christians around the world. The Bible tells us that through agreement in prayer, the Lord shall grant us all that we desire. The internet has enabled us to build a massive congregation to lift your prayer requests to a whole new level," according to the prayer website, before it was closed.
The websites offered prayers for $9 to $35, claiming that a "Pastor John Carlson" ran them.
