Pastor Marcos Túlio Galdino (featured photo), 38 years old, was ordered by the Federal Court to pay R$4,000 in moral and material damages to a believer from Brasilia who claims to have suffered spiritual fraud.
With more than 24,000 followers on Instagram and 3,000 subscribers on YouTube, the religious leader, known as “Minister Marco Túlio,” has gained notoriety thanks to the alleged prophecies he addresses to the faithful during the services he celebrates.
The victim reported that Marcos Túlio, using his status as a pastor with some notoriety on social networks, lures his subscribers to lives on Instagram, where he then sends a direct message to some and asks them for money.
According to congregants, the pastor demands money through strong moral coercion, such as prophecies and spiritual goals.
She said that on March 27 this year, during a live broadcast, the pastor mentioned her name and asked her to contact him after the live broadcast.
While searching for the cleric, the victim received messages which, according to the pastor, came “from God”. During the conversation, he mentioned that there would be a “goal” worth R$777, an amount that God was supposed to determine.
The victim said he wrongly understood that the amount would be R$277. Later, when he was informed that the “correct amount” was R$777, he topped up the amount with another Pix of R$500.
According to the report, the demands don’t stop there. On the morning of March 29, 2025, the priest allegedly started a new conversation by claiming that he had had a “vision” in which the victim’s daughter would be buried the following Monday. To avoid tragedy, he said, another “financial vote” would be necessary.
The victim reports that she found the request strange, but despite this, the pastor insisted that another sum be sent. Initially it charged R$344, then reduced to R$153. Feeling pressured, the victim ended up making two more transfers.
The day after the incident, the victim sought more information about the pastor and found a report on the Internet reporting a similar case. According to the article, another person was the victim of a scam involving the same amount of R$777.
Adding up all the shipments, the loss of the faithful reached R$930. After realizing she had fallen for a scam, she requested a refund, which did not happen.
The fraud was also reported by the victim to Police Station 17 (Taguatinga Norte).
Sentence before the DF court
In increasing the value of the compensation, the 3rd Appeals Chamber of the Special Courts emphasized that the accused had used artifices based on the perpetrator’s faith to obtain a financial advantage.
The first instance decision concluded that the fraud had caused material damage and harmed the author’s honor. The judge explained that, according to the Civil Code, “the abuse of another’s faith to carry out fraud gives rise to civil liability and may give rise to the obligation to repair moral damage.”
The defendant was ordered to return the money and pay the sum of R$1,000 in moral damages. The author appealed. When analyzing the appeal, the Commission recalled that the defendant had taken advantage of the victim’s “momentary psychological vulnerability” to obtain a financial advantage.
For the collegiate, the fact undermines the subjective honor of the author and the value of compensation for moral damage should be increased.
“Similarly, the reprehensible nature of the defendant’s conduct is high, because he obtained an unfair advantage from the appellant by using artifice, the power of manipulation, by abusing the faith and spirituality of the author, by making him fear that the catastrophic prophecies concerning the life of the appellant will come true,” he stressed.
The Committee therefore upheld the author’s appeal seeking to set compensation for moral damage at R$4,000. The defendant will also have to return the amount of R$930. The decision was unanimous.
What does the pastor say
In contact with the report, Pastor Marcos Túlio said that a challenge of faith had been given to the woman, but that she had given up on this goal. According to him, it was a completely voluntary act, without any kind of obligation or psychological pressure.
“At no time did I intend to withhold anything from anyone who had stopped believing or no longer wished to participate in the objective. When she requested the restitution of the amount, I stated that I would return it and I really intended to do so. However, in the end I was not able to finalize this restitution within the deadline. My lawyer is already preparing a new request to have the case resolved,” he clarified.
“If she asked for more and had the means, I would give it to her because my intention is to make her understand that the kingdom of God does not take anything from her, it is her faith that makes her situation improve or pass,” he affirmed.
The pastor also said he has been in ministry for over 17 years and this would be the second time he has been unjustly accused of a coup.
“In my entire ministry, this has happened twice, where someone wanted a seed to be placed on the altar. What happened is minimal. I have credibility in my calling, my vocation and what I do,” he emphasized.
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