The pattern is almost always the same.

A con artist joins a community of some sort, often a church, and gains the trust of its members. He convinces them to invest in a scheme and eventually walks away with most, if not all, of the money. It's called affinity fraud, and it's one of the fastest-growing types of fraud in North America.

Religious organizations are especially vulnerable because of the inherent trust within the community, and fraudsters are capitalizing on that fact. They're infiltrating congregations at an alarming rate, especially in British Columbia's Fraser Valley, with the single goal of fleecing the flock.

Authorities in B.C. admit they are struggling to address the problem, particularly as victims are rarely willing to come forward. "We knew that there were a lot of affinity frauds going on," says Patricia Bowles of the B.C. Securities Commission (BCSC). "We were trying to figure out how to get into the churches and get our message out. It's very, very difficult."

For years, the BCSC tried to reach out to church groups -- but was met with a wall of silence. Victims were too ashamed or embarrassed to speak out, and they didn't want it to reflect badly on their community. Churches also had a tendency to resolve any issues in-house, rather than through legal channels. The BCSC knew it would be difficult to spread the word.

In July of 2003, the answer to their prayers came in the form of two clergymen. Seamus Mackrell, a Catholic priest, and John Haycock, a Presbyterian minister, who approached the BCSC with a proposal. Both spiritual advisers at hospitals in the Fraser Valley, the two were noticing a rise in affinity-fraud cases -- and were deeply disturbed by the stories of deep depression, failed marriages and psychological pain.

It wasn't long before God's Fraud Squad was born. The timing -- and location -- couldn't have been better. With 200 churches and 30 denominations, the Fraser Valley is known as British Columbia's Bible belt.

By 2004, the unlikely duo had put together a presentation to warn churchgoers about wolves in sheep's clothing. But even they had trouble getting the message out at first. "We sent a letter to all the local pastors," says Mackrell. "We didn't get a single reply."

They eventually found a way in by giving smaller presentations to women's groups and men's groups at various churches. The positive feedback prompted congregations to start opening their doors.

God's Fraud Squad has now reached more than 5,000 people directly -- and many more indirectly. Their work is even garnering attention south of the border. In New Mexico, the securities division has introduced a pilot program closely modelled on their presentations.

It's all starting to pay off. In the Fraser Valley, God's Fraud Squad is beginning to scare off fraudsters. Mackrell and Haycock are now hoping to expand their reach to other provinces across the country. They have just finished taping a DVD version of their presentation that will be distributed to churches of all denominations.

God's Fraud Squad. Stopping scams before they happen - and making sure fraudsters don't prey on those who pray.