How to be scam savvy—and recognize spiritual danger
This article offers practical guidance for spotting financial scams, from unsolicited calls and texts to high-pressure demands for money. It also draws a parallel to spiritual fraud, warning readers to watch for false teachers and manipulative leaders. Scripture passages from Matthew and 2 Peter provide a framework for discernment.
- Common scam tactics include urgency, secrecy, and requests for unconventional payments.
- Wise caution includes slowing down, verifying requests, and seeking trusted help.
- 2 Peter 2 describes warning signs of spiritual fraud that require vigilance.
By David Faust
Do you receive unsolicited text messages from strangers offering to buy your house? Do you get phone calls warning about problems with your Social Security account or demanding payment for products you never ordered?
Swindlers, schemers, spammers, and scammers abound in our high-tech world. Internet hackers and identity thieves prey shamelessly on elderly and vulnerable consumers. Their tools include fake investment schemes; on-line romance scams; marketplace frauds that advertise non-existent or inferior products; and AI deep-fake messages that fool victims into sending money to rescue troubled “relatives” or support bogus causes.
Be Scam Savvy
Recently I attended a training session led by law enforcement officials who specialize in helping citizens avoid scams. Here are some of the suggestions they mentioned.
Don’t be over-confident and think you are too smart to be scammed. Assume that anyone can be targeted, including you.
Be skeptical. Don’t trust offers that sound too-good-to-be-true. Don’t give personal, financial, or security information to unsolicited callers. Be wary if someone insists that you pay bills in unconventional ways like purchasing gift cards or using cryptocurrency. Legitimate businesses and government agencies won’t suddenly phone and threaten you with arrest if you don’t comply with their demands.
Slow down. Take time to question and investigate. Don’t let emotions rule or let anyone bully you into sudden action. Extreme urgency and high-pressure tactics often are indications of fraud.
Seek help from trustworthy sources. Secrecy is usually a red flag. If you have any doubts, hang up the phone and call the bank, credit card company, or business directly to verify the request. Don’t let embarrassment keep you from seeking advice from friends and family members you know and trust.
Keep learning. You don’t have to be a technology expert, but you can stay informed, ask good questions, and seek wise counsel. To be sure, scammers are constantly trying to figure out new ways to steal your money.
Recognize Spiritual Danger
Financial scams aren’t the worst kind. We must constantly be on guard against spiritual fraud. Christ calls us to be fishers of men, but watch out for phishers of men—false teachers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15).
Second Peter chapter 2 lists several characteristics of spiritual scams. These warning signs spell “DANGER.”
Disrespect. Religious con artists “despise authority” (2 Peter 2:10, New International Version), so they avoid accountability and demand to be in charge.
Arrogance. They are “bold and arrogant” (v. 10), oozing self-confidence but lacking humility.
Nastiness. Like someone with oil-stained fingers handling a white wedding dress, spiritual impostors soil the purity of the church. They are “blots and blemishes” (v. 13) with “eyes full of adultery” (v. 14) who view others as targets for sexual exploitation or financial gain.
Greed. Unethical influencers are “experts in greed” (v. 14) who manipulate situations for their personal advantage.
Emptiness. “These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm” (v. 17). They make big promises but leave others feeling empty and used.
Restrictions. Cults and false teachers distort God’s grace and enslave their followers to authoritarian rules based on human regulations. “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them’” (v. 19).
Parents and church leaders must be “shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), vigilantly protecting our families and flocks.
David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.
Author: David Faust
David Faust serves as the Associate Minister at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.
