St. Mary's Medical Center warns of 'Pay for Prayer' scam

St. Mary's Medical Center warns about 'Pay for Prayer' scam

By Nick Oliver |

Posted: Wed 1:00 PM, Dec 12, 2018 |

Updated: Wed 7:05 PM, Dec 12, 2018

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- St. Mary's Medical Center is warning the public about scammers who are requesting money and telling the victims that, in return, they would receive prayer from a hospital official.

According to the hospital, the calls claim to be from the "St. Mary's Prayer Center Ministry" -- a department that does not exist. The callers request victims to place their personal information into a database through the phone in order for the hospital to "pray for you."

St. Mary's says their Department of Spiritual Care and Mission is always available to pray for anyone who requests it and they would never seek any money in return.

The calls use "location spoofing" which is a new trend that gives false locations to victims. It will show a phone number from a nearby town in the caller ID in order for the victims to feel obligated to answer the phone. Some victims even report voicemail messages being left asking for financial information.

The hospital says they dealt with a similar situation in April when scammers requested money for prayer. This time, they say people from across the state and even the country are getting the calls.

Hospital officials say they have filed a complaint with West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office.

The Federal Communications Commission says the average phone user will receive more calls from robots than actual humans by the end of 2018. They say you should never give any financial information over the phone and you should verify any requests with the exact source.