Fleecing the shepherds

Houses of worship, as all not-for-profit organizations, are particularly vulnerable to fraud. The authors outline fraudsters’ methods and ways congregations can avoid becoming victims while still helping those in need.

Jeanne Thoreau, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, walked into her office at the beginning of the workday. No sooner had she sat at her desk then her secretary stepped in to ask whether she’d accept a collect call from a parishioner. The church periodically received requests from members in crisis, so she didn’t suspect anything when she agreed to take the call. (All the examples in this article are real but we’ve modified them to protect the anonymity of those involved.)