Romanian Patriarchate warns of online fraud that misuses the image of the Church

The Romanian Patriarchate warns of the proliferation of online fraud in which the name of the Romanian Orthodox Church is misused, emphasizing that the institution does not practice or encourage such activities ("divination", "sorcery"), considered incompatible with Christian teaching. The reaction comes in the context of the appearance, on social networks, of accounts that falsely claim to represent clergy or people from the monastic environment.

• Fake accounts request money for unorthodox practices

Representatives of the Patriarchate report that these accounts request money in exchange for alleged religious practices, such as "divination", "divination" or "sorcery", activities that the Church categorically rejects. "The Romanian Patriarchate draws attention to these fraud attempts, urging awareness of the phenomenon and correct information, from official sources, on the methods of making donations. The Romanian Orthodox Church does not practice and does not encourage such manifestations in any way," the statement reads. The institution states that any association between these practices and clerical life is "false and inappropriate".

• Call for caution and verification of sources

The Patriarchate draws attention to the fact that profiles that use the image of alleged "nuns", "monks", "priests" or "vladiks" to request money must be treated with utmost caution, especially in the absence of a verifiable identity. Believers are urged: to avoid sending money to unofficial sources; to verify the authenticity of accounts and pages that invoke the names of monasteries or parishes; to use official channels when wishing to make donations; to notify the competent authorities in case of suspicions of fraud.

• Donations must be made transparent

Representatives of the Romanian Patriarchate emphasize that supporting places of worship and people in need must be done transparently and in accordance with Christian values, based on official and verifiable channels. The warning also comes against the backdrop of a recent case investigated by the authorities. In early March, a 35-year-old woman was detained and later placed under judicial control, accused of fraud after allegedly obtaining 6,700 lei from a man. According to investigators, she presented herself as a "nun" and promised to perform religious rituals to reconcile the victim with her partner, the contact being initiated through a website.