Show SACRAMENTO (AP) — Mark Jackson drove i $62000 Humvee and ' $2£00 wristwatch His -- I thoughtllmd thebe of ‘ CtBroadtmgNetrk in Nashville Tennwas both worlds Here wasan organization that was doing good and was offering invest- ment returns that I couldn't match anywhere else” said wwth millions he claimed So it looked like an attrac- tive offer when Jackson seemingly a man of great fiuth offered to let the Rev Phillip Goudeaux and Sacramento’s Calvary Christian Center invest in his network The result: Goudeaux and his flock were fleeced of $620000 The case is just one example of what authorities call “affinity fraud” in which con artists prey upon people's willingness to believe ben of their same religious ethnic career or community-base- d group Religious scams may be die most common lucrative and insidious of all authorities say The victims' fiuth — fruth in God fiuth in the clergy faith in fellow believers — is used against them The North American Securities Administrators Association says there were $500 million in losses from religious affinity scams in 1989 the first year the organization made such a tally That figure has been eclipsed by tworecent schemes — the Baptist Foundation of Arizona and Florida's Greater Ministries International — which together have cost 40000 investors nearly $13 billion In the last three years alone 27 states have taken action against scams that used reli- ious or spiritual beliefs to ’ the Lord under the guise of a Cmstian organization like tfaisT cause andit turned out to be buL" BonuuVezperience U typi- anghing Thrapmaditi MtaUMicnUwieUMf m indtook medicboo to nfiedpuhhceccoanomtin 1 ' ‘V ability " Lovxet V v STSoSe& omrSiS!bS ben they’ve experts Once the bubble bunts V ' “people who have lost their C ’ - dapwlem ovCTlnnthrif - £ - ' schemes” Forrest Bomar was trying to avoid stock fluctuations when he invested most of his life savings with the Baptist Foundation of Arizona which authorities say devolved into a pyramid scheme that used money from new investors to pay previous investors The foundation declared bankruptcy and was shut - Cl ' ' live” Asa lover of liturgy Sister Marilyn could have predicted this reaction But she still sounds a little surprised when " speaking of the students' “more traditional devotions” This generation seems to be worshipping in the way of their grandparents ' “In terms of preying the rosary really an individual prayer thiey want to do that as That’s the prayer their a ' groupi ' grandparents had” Modem ufe she theorizes has left reli-gious -- : ejtts The students didn’tseem obviously stricken by the cler-icscandals perhaps because the revelations came in the ' Spring when they had other fish to fry But Sister Marilyn would be called over by women intbe parish Against-- f the bleakness of the events tte “affirmation” of the laity V! r " j : v y : 4 v y ?' al that toeqness” she said iuj(f X added that the females in the parishf ‘Tooking fora link" might appretiatewother - ' ’j i x" i ' V ' ! ' : K'-- y wwnaritrtghetplace“a traimidprofimueveh if pota rehgioui womans : Sister Muiru's own train- i ing incltidcdmusic which at Thomas meant thkt she ‘'V: could Idas concctgoing $ood- -' bye As the church ehsembleS ' proliferated so did rehearsals but who’s complaining? fUniquo to the people involved" she said of St - yt Thomas’s musiemakers “We1 are so Messed ' Evetyone who heard or sing ddegate would say the ' ’ : Ipi-’i’-- ' i Vf '" ’ 'SSI i : t v 'V ' v- 'v' ' 4V'- -- t 'h u ' V V i MS(hiaquiiwraaiiicliaMofa(iiSPlMMtCRBphonsanSaiiMVt‘ imwacabtoofnblMaiaianfltfMrMlMi “ i' ' IOCAM f OWM v £ - ' v wf1 V I UTAH 1DI ! CACHI VALUV MAU ' r j !' ’ ' : : ' 43S natkSn ATiurrlE'-- ass : — hdr:-'fX- Same-- ' a5saas53asa582!sfissj '' '' ' : ’ ' '- ! " ' - ' t Vi s 1 J ' - - ' -- r ' : f’ rilk more than 90000 investors the NAS AA estimates “The pattern is there is more affinity fraud because of the volatility in the stock market” said Andre Pineda assistant commissioner of the California Department of Corporations “It makes 2001 a prime year for these Continued from ' |