Clark wants you to know about affinity fraud because it's back again and you could easily get taken. Affinity fraud has been around for many years, but lately doctors and churchgoers have gotten taken. Affinity fraud can take place among any group that hangs out together, though. So, it usually involves a violation of trust. The latest scam ripped off member of various churches who thought they were going to make millions of dollars on import and export deals. Included were such products as bottled water, scooters and more. And, as people were pulling in money, they would tell their friends about it and more people got involved. It spread like wildfire, especially in the evangelical Christian community. Now, $35 million of money is missing. The group behind the scam, which went by the name IPIC International, spent churchgoers’ money on expensive homes, a yacht and even a helicopter. The trick is to use people who are well-respected in their communities – such as doctors and church members – to spread the news. As people buy in, the crooks buy toys from themselves and then take off. The rule is that if you’re not investing in standard mutual funds or stocks, but are dipping into private deals like this, you have got to be careful. When people see money rolling in, they think it must be real. But if returns seem too high, it’s probably not legitimate. The first investors will make money, but after a while it collapses and so will your finances.