A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION TARGETS SPEAKERS THROUGH A FAKE CHURCH
- Michel Poulaert
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
Never let your ego get the upper hand!
On July 31, I received the kind of speaking engagement we all dream of.
A presentation in front of more than 1,000 people in South Africa, as part of an event organized by a religious community.
My first reaction?
“Hell yeah!”
I feel comfortable working with religious communities, the project seemed legitimate, the event was large-scale, and the terms offered were particularly attractive.
“Pastor Daniel Bawden” won me over: he filled out the contact form on my website, and my eyes lit up!
Right away, I replied to him by email.
And, of course, I received a reply that even further flattered my ego!
I’m used to this kind of request—I’ve received hundreds and hundreds of them—and everything’s there; it rings true.
The conversation moves on to the details and terms, which are very enticing.
Too appealing! They offer to fly me first class, but I suggest that business class will work, as long as they agree to let me bring one guest.
My fee?
For an international event of this magnitude as a CSP speaker? $15K!
They agree!
My ego is soaring once again!
The “pastor” tells me he’ll pass the rest of the arrangements on to “Rachel,” President of the “Event Organization Committee.”
Nothing fazes him—even though it’s a religious organization, some are so large that they operate like businesses with a very precise organizational chart for each role.
This “Rachel” sends me a meticulously drafted invitation letter and contract.
It’s superbly written; everything’s there, nothing’s missing—they’re pros!
Everything is there:
The terms and conditions.
The fees.
Travel arrangements.
Logistics.
Cancellation policies.
The obligations of each party.
Even the travel arrangements for my travel companion, who is also covered.
I talk about it with my best friends who are speakers, to share my enthusiasm.
I send them a copy of the contract to get their perspective. The deal seems solid to them. They congratulate me. Thank you, Michaël Aguilar and Régis Rossi, we’re always happy when our friends succeed!
And that’s exactly where the trap could have worked.
Because an effective scam doesn’t start with anything suspicious.
It starts by making you want to believe it.
Then...
I usually try to find out who I’m dealing with, what they do, what their background is, who the leaders are, and who the men and women are that keep a company or community running, what exactly do they do?...
So I Google a lot!
For me, it’s a professional habit: “Who are these people?”
🚩 A first red flag
I want to see where I’m going.
I look up the address of this so-called “Community” on Google Maps, and I position “Pegman” (that’s the name of the little yellow guy in Street View) right on the address listed on their website: 101 Grosvernor Road, Bryanston, 2191, Gauteng, South Africa.
And what do you see?
Yep, yep, you’re seeing it right: Virgin.
But not a church that can hold more than 1,000 worshippers.
Even if I do a 360° scan and look 100 feet in every direction… there’s no building like that.
Well, I figure there might be a recently built structure…
I want to believe it! I want to go to Pretoria!
I’m starting to have my doubts.
🚩 A second red flag
Still following this approach of trying to find out who I’m dealing with, I always look them up on LinkedIn first.
No profile there—that fuels my suspicions.
No presence anywhere else (all it takes is Googling their names)—a suspicion that keeps growing.
The people who’ve been contacting me via email and WhatsApp are named Daniel Bawden, Rachel Petersen, Fiona Dawson… None of them are on LinkedIn—or anywhere else, for that matter.
I look at the other “team members.” None of them exist on LinkedIn, and that’s simply im-po-ssible!
There should be at least one or two team members who’d be on there, if only because of past work experience.
The travel agency “VistaLink Travel Consultants” isn’t on my favorite social network either.
I find their group photo too “artificial,” the background “too smooth.”
My first thought is that it’s a photo generated by artificial intelligence.
The people aren’t posing naturally. No one is looking at each other. They’re… machines.
Only a robot could dehumanize humans to this extent!
And AI is… a machine!
Yet the website is convincing! Well-designed, with videos, statistics, testimonials, and a strong, welcoming team!
🚩 Third red flag
There is a program, yes, but everything is very vaguely described and, most importantly... there are no names of guests, experts, specialists, pastors, rabbis, imams, nothing, nada...
So I’m willing to believe that not everything is finalized yet; that’s okay, and it can happen.
But NOTHING is finalized! Are there no other speakers except me??? 🤨
This is a major event hosting over 1,000 people, and you’re telling me that with just a few weeks to go, you don’t have any speakers lined up, no panel discussion titles, no themes, no structure, or overarching concept? 🤨
Don’t you have any “guest stars”? Any religious leaders? I’m not asking for the Pope, but there’s simply… no one on this “large-scale” program.
That’s just impossible!
If they have event committees like they claim, this kind of event is finalized at least a year in advance—not eight weeks…
🚩 Fourth red flag
“We do not currently use Zoom or Teams, but you can contact us via WhatsApp.”
That was the response I received when I invited them to have a quick video call on Zoom or Teams.
And “Rachel” tells me they don’t use Zoom or Teams?
In what world is that even possible?
No company or organization operates without these tools!
This red flag is starting to look really suspicious!
The communication is very reactive.
Everything is happening very quickly, and there’s no time to breathe: you have to react fast—it’s urgent, it’s in October!
🚩 Fifth red flag
That’s starting to add up, isn’t it?
At this point, I’m starting to come to terms with the idea that I won’t be going to South Africa, that I won’t be pocketing the $15K, and that I won’t be going with my girlfriend to Nelson Mandela’s hometown.
Now “Fiona Dawson” has sent me a detailed email about preparing all the travel documents for a conference speaker.
A tourist visa wouldn’t be legal since I’m going there to work—even if it’s just for a single conference. So I have to enter the country on a work visa; true, I’ve been through this before.
And that’s where they’re good—they quote the law.
And you? You don’t want any trouble.
You’re a straight shooter.
Fiona is asking me… to pay $1,585 for administrative fees for a work visa in South Africa… a “deposit” that would be refunded to me when I leave the country.
After so many red flags, there’s no way I’m paying anything up front!
Besides, it’s my policy never to pay to give a lecture, legislation or not. It’s up to the organization to cover all costs, even if it’s a “deposit.” In fact, they’re the ones who normally act as guarantors.
I ask them to pay for it themselves (since they have so much money!).
They tell me that’s not possible! Ha ha ha! Yeah, right!
🚩 Sixth red flag
Well, I’m not backing down, but this time it’s my curiosity that’s driving my next moves.
“How far will they go?”
“Rachel” sends me instructions to pay quickly via PayPal:
Important: Be sure to follow all instructions carefully. When sending your payment through PayPal, select the “Friends and Family” option.
Use only the information provided below.
PayPal Name: Lydia Dennis
PayPal: Lydiamdennis@outlook.com
Total Due: $1,585 USD
Payment Type: Friends and Family
But, but… do you take me for a fool??? 🤣
Who is this “Lydia Dennis”?
And why isn’t the account in the agency’s name?
And why is it a “Friends and Family” payment? 🤨
Alright, I’ll tell them I don’t have PayPal. I’ll ask for a proper bank account—and most importantly, a business account. I have to report everything if I don’t want any trouble with the tax authorities 😅
She doesn’t back down and this time treats me like a 6-week-old bunny.
She sends me a bank account number, along with a message—that’s cool:
"Account Name: Edith Mendel
IBAN LT623130010181560871
BIC/BZENLT22
Bank Name: ZEN
Country: Lithuania
Total Due: $1,585 USD
Reference: Bond
Bank Address: UPES GATVE 23, VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
Please ensure that you independently verify the bank details through the church’s official contact information before sending any funds. Once the payment has been completed, kindly send us the payment receipt so that our accounts department can verify the transaction and confirm receipt."
WHAT? 😱
Who is Edith??? 😳
An account in... Lithuania!!!
Up until now, the scam was brilliant and sophisticated, but this is the cherry on top!
I can’t help but burst out laughing.
Are these scammers really that stupid to think I’m as dumb as they are?!
I told them to get lost, making it clear that I wouldn’t play along with their scam.
They replied… “We understand that you think this is a scam, but it isn’t.”
Yeah, and my ass is a chicken! 😂
It’s actually pretty terrifying!
It all seems believable: they contact you, describe the event, ask about your availability and your fees, and then the conversation turns to contracts, travel arrangements, and logistics.
Until they asked me to pay—that’s when I caught on...
One of the most disturbing aspects of this scam is the effort that went into making it seem like this church and this travel agency are real.
A scam largely built and facilitated by artificial intelligence.
The profiles, the identities, the websites, the documents...
Everything had been carefully planned to create a believable environment.
And that’s precisely what makes this case so alarming.
We’re no longer just dealing with emails riddled with spelling mistakes and African princes who want to bequeath their fortunes to us.
Scams are becoming professional.
They can involve:
→ a fake event
→ fake contacts
→ fake websites
→ fake documents
→ fake agencies
→ credible digital identities
→ and now AI-generated content.
And above all… they prey on something very human: our ego.
And soon they’ll be able to communicate with us on Zoom or Teams; there are already AIs that can transform a man’s face into that of an angel and change their voice at will.
We’ll have to stay on our guard for a long time to come!
For me, for now, the only way to protect myself from these kinds of scams is to get paid upfront.
No cash in my account—I won’t even leave my house to go to an airport!
Friends, don’t fall into the trap of being flattered!
Our egos swell (mine too), and that clouds our judgment!
We all want to give talks in front of 1,000 people!
MY 7 RULES FROM NOW ON
1. I always verify that the organization actually exists.
Physical address, official registry, social media, press coverage, partners, history...
2. I verify the people involved.
A name and a nice photo prove absolutely nothing. Worse yet, a photo that looks too polished is already suspicious.
3. I never consider a beautiful website to be proof.
These days, it only takes a few hours to create a very credible online presence.
4. I request a video conference.
And if a reputable organization systematically refuses any video communication for a major international event, I consider that a major red flag.
5. I independently verify service providers.
Travel agencies, hotels, visa agencies, etc.
Not using the contact information provided by my contact, but through my own research: embassies, legitimate travel agencies, colleagues...
6. I never pay to secure a speaking engagement.
And I really want to emphasize this in very bold letters:
NEVER PAY TO GIVE A KEYNOTE!
A gig may involve travel expenses, administrative procedures, or specific documents—that’s fine, but double-check, verify, and confirm.
But if someone promises you $15,000 and asks you to pay $1,585 to “unlock” the deal, stop right there!
7. And above all: take the time to double-check when you’re really tempted to say yes.
It’s precisely when an opportunity seems extraordinary that you need to become extraordinarily rational again.
And I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues Michael Aguilar and Régis Rossi for agreeing to review this proposal with me.
Because a second pair of eyes is sometimes more effective than our own enthusiasm.
To all my friends and fellow speakers, presenters, MC, consultants, agencies, and event professionals: please share this message.
If this post can prevent even one professional from losing money, wasting time, or finding themselves in a dangerous situation, then this mishap will at least have served a purpose.
And remember:
An extraordinary opportunity deserves extraordinary attention.
And above all...
Never let your ego negotiate in place of your brain.
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