Faith can move mountains, but apparently it can also move money. Lots of it.
In Brazil, police arrested 35 people accused of running a massive scam that sold “miracle prayers” written by artificial intelligence to unsuspecting believers. Each prayer costs about 50 reais, or ten U.S. dollars. Some victims were so touched by the words that they kept buying more, convinced they were receiving divine messages crafted specifically for them.
The operation ran out of Nilópolis, a city in Rio de Janeiro’s Baixada Fluminense region, and worked like a religious call center. According to Rio’s Civil Police, the group targeted Catholics through social media posts from a self-proclaimed “pastor” who promised personalized blessings, revelations, and cures for illnesses.
Once victims made contact, call center workers phoned them to collect personal details about their health, finances, and families. That information was entered into an AI program trained to generate spiritual messages that sounded comforting and profound.
AI Is Now Writing ‘Miracle Prayers’—and Scammers Are Getting Rich Off Them
The prayers felt real. Investigators said the technology adapted to each person, mimicking emotional tone and religious phrasing so well that it felt human. The algorithm was designed to manipulate these vulnerable and gullible people, rather than providing the faith these victims were hoping to receive.
Police estimate that the group collected at least three million reais, or roughly half a million dollars, over two years. During raids, officers found records of payments, call scripts, and a pricing list for different types of blessings. The suspects now face charges of fraud and criminal conspiracy, and investigators are encouraging victims to come forward to strengthen the case.
“The use of artificial intelligence allowed these messages to appear precise and deeply personal,” said Isabelle Conti, head of the Nilópolis Police Department, in a statement reported by Oddity Central. “It gave people the impression of receiving something sacred when in reality it was calculated.”
Faith scams are nothing new, but the tools have evolved. Artificial intelligence can creepily mimic the empathy and rhythm of human speech, making deception feel intimate. For those who believed they were hearing divine comfort, the betrayal runs deep.
In the end, the voice offering salvation was not holy at all. It was just code, written to sound like compassion, and it made a small fortune doing it.
The post AI-Generated ‘Miracle’ Prayers Are Worth a Fortune—Just Ask the Scammers Selling Them appeared first on VICE.
