Man of God or Fraudster? Nowadays It’s getting difficult to tell the difference. Imagine giving over your hard-earned $3,000 to a pastor, believing you’re on your way to Canada, only to find out you’ve been scammed!
This is exactly what happened to a group of nine individuals who fell prey to a so-called “travel program” run by Pastor Ben of Triumphant Evangelical Fire Ministries, located in Chicken Soup Factory. The scam promised a seamless journey to Canada, and many trusted it, not just because of the pastor’s reputation but because of the convincing details surrounding the operation.
How It All Started
In October 2023, a man named Martin introduced one of the victims to Pastor Ben’s travel program. At first, he had doubts, but his trust in Ben’s reputation convinced him the offer was legitimate.
“When Martin told me that this Man of God had been sending people to Canada, I decided to do my due diligence to confirm whether Pastor Ben was indeed aware of what Martin had told me. Before we continued, Martin called Pastor Ben, and after that conversation, I became convinced. We then created a group chat to enhance our communication and keep each other updated as we prepared for the journey, with Pastor Ben participating as well, as you can see in the screenshots.”
Like many others, he believed he was making the right move. He had already used his savings to purchase a kehkeh (tricycle) but needed a rider. Martin, playing his role in the scam, suggested he could manage the kehkeh while the victim focused on his travel plans, ensuring he could pay the required $3,000 for the process.
“To be honest, I didn’t spend any money at that point. Before meeting Martin, I had already used my savings to purchase a Kehkeh, but I was in need of a rider. Martin suggested that I could initiate my travel process while he found someone to operate the Kehkeh and report back to him until I finished paying the $3,000 USD that covered the entire process to travel to Canada.”
The Pastor’s Day in Court
By far, nine people fell into the trap, losing thousands of dollars to this fake program. But the walls finally closed in on Pastor Ben.
On January 25, 2025, a writ of arrest was issued for him on charges of theft of property and criminal conspiracy. He was summoned to court, where he made a promissory note to repay $13,000 USD to Musa S. Kamara on behalf of the nine victims.
Pastor Ben had even promised to take Mr. Kamara and his family to Canada, using false pretense to extort money from them.
A Lesson for Everyone
This case serves as a harsh reminder—scammers are everywhere, even in the pulpit. The trust people place in religious leaders makes them easy targets for fraudsters hiding behind the name of God.
For those looking for opportunities abroad, always verify. A real travel process isn’t that simple, and if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
What do you think about this? Should pastors face harsher punishment for using religion as a tool for fraud?]
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