Saint Mary’s Hospital staff warns of pay-for-prayer scam

MADISON, Wis. — Staff at Saint Mary’s hospital are warning people of a pay-for-prayer scam call. The phone call solicits donations in exchange for someone to pray for you.

“On Wednesday I visited with a patient whose wife thanked me when I came in for the phone call she received,” said pastoral chaplain Andy Karlson. “She said, ‘Oh, I got the call from the hospital.’ I said, ‘The call?'”

That call is a robocall introducing itself as the Saint Mary’s Prayer Center. Many people have been confusing it with Saint Mary’s Hospital.

A phone call scam is going around Madison asking people to donate money in exchange for a prayer. Do not fall for this! Hang up the phone. Never give out info this way.

Staff at #StMarysHospital say the caller identifies as someone from Saint Mary’s Prayer Center. # #News3Now pic.twitter.com/mrTTbXpwL4

— Jamie Perez (@JamiePerezTV) February 22, 2019

“The call will introduce itself and then say press one for prayer, press three to disconnect, but pressing three will just get your call in an endless loop and somewhere along the line, they start asking for credit card information,” Karlson said. “It’s a special concern in a hospital because some of our patients may be confused and all of our patients are certainly vulnerable.”

The woman Karlson spoke with regarding this call did not end up giving up her personal information, but not everyone will do the same.

“To prey on people in a vulnerable state is pretty low,” Karlson said.

Karlson said the best thing to do if you receive a scam call is to hang up.

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