West Virginians warned of pay-for-prayer calls

Those choosing to solicit consumers in such a manner have been known to utilize robocalls, websites and unsolicited email to exploit the consumer’s desire for prayer, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a news release. The process typically involves a donation in exchange for prayer.

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division recently learned of the calls circulating once again in West Virginia. The caller portrays him or herself as representing the “St. Mary’s Prayer Center Ministry,” an entity having no known connection to the similarly named city of St. Marys in Pleasants County, St. Mary’s Medical Center located in Huntington or other entities elsewhere in West Virginia.