Written by: Dr Pearl Kupe
Article source: JOY! Magazine
The Bible describes the last days as a time when we will see the rise of a generation and people who “will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred” (2 Tim 3:2, NLT).
We are currently in that season – witnessing an upsurge in the number of people who love themselves, love money, and are driven by greed. They consider nothing sacred and are willing to do anything to get that money.
Scammers galore!
We live in a dispensation where we see so many scammers – both offline and online – trying to make a “quick buck” by deceiving people. The scammers usually assume fake identities of people they perceive to be influential/well known. Those who operate through social media tend to assume the identities of those who have large followings. Having many followers gives the scammers a bigger crowd of people to deceive, and many scammers go undetected. There are lots of scammers targeting believers as they feel we are more vulnerable, more naïve, and less discerning.
Scammed by a ‘minister’
I recently received a message from someone I had mentored, relaying her sad story of how she had been scammed. She had been giving money, on a regular basis over an extended period, to someone she believed to be an international pastor. The scammer claimed to be building a church in South Africa. They presented photos of the real minister of the Gospel (who they were impersonating) as “proof” to her. It took me a long time to convince her that she had been scammed. Scammers have gotten so good at the game; it is hard for people to believe that they have been deceived. With the advent of AI, it has become even more difficult to detect deception.
A target for scammers
Of late, I have personally become a serious target of scammers on TikTok and Facebook in particular. The scammers fraudulently use my name and photos to deceive people into following them and to lure followers into making “donations”. This prompted me to verify my Facebook account as a way of authenticating my account and making it slightly more difficult for scammers to deceive people using my profile. Most scammers, however, are persistent in their attempts to cheat people and are not easily thwarted. Unfortunately, most social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok are reluctant to do anything (even after you report the scammers).
Looking to the Word
The driving forces behind scammers are greed and the love of money. The Bible talks above the love of money in 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (AMP), “But those who [are not financially ethical and] crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth] fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction [leading to personal misery].”
Scammers will ultimately pay the price for their greed and criminality. The Word of God has the following to say about illegitimately obtained wealth. Proverbs 13:11 (AMP), “Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but he who gathers gradually by [honest] labor will increase [his riches].” Proverbs 20:17 says, “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel”, and Proverbs 10:2, “Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.”
Things to look out for
• Language – many scammers have poor vocabulary and spelling. Study their communication against the person they are impersonating and you will find a big gap in the way they communicate.
• Is there a request for money? Most credible ministers of the Gospel will not request for money via private messages to individuals. They will share the account details of the ministry they represent in a public place.
• Many scammers will also claim to have a “prophetic word for you”. This is usually a trap to lure you into private communication so they can scam and deceive you privately. Be very wary of invitations to communicate privately.
People who usually fall prey to these scams
Scammers are people who have studied their craft well. They look for vulnerable people. They will read your profiles on social media and follow you to see if you are lonely, vulnerable, or feel isolated in any way. Vulnerable people usually seek attention and easily fall prey to scams. They will search you out and initially flatter you and give you attention to make you feel special. Be alert, vigilant, and prayerful to ensure that you do not fall prey. Also, reach out to someone credible in ministry to ask for advice if you are not sure. Get counsel through your local church elders and be careful of developing online relationships.
Special prayer
I pray for two categories of people today. For those who have been scammed, I pray for grace and for a recovery and restoration for you (Joel 2:25-27). May God restore what the stripping and hopping locusts have taken from you. Going forward, may you walk in wisdom and grow in discernment. To those who are doing the actual scamming, I pray for conviction and for you to repent before judgement locates you and you end up reaping the evil that you have sown.
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Date published: 19/10/2024
DR Pearl Kupe – attorney and consultant to world leaders and international organisations. Visit pearlkupe.co.za or email pearl.kupe@gmail.com
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