"Fraud" is defined as ...

1. deliberate deception, trickery, or cheating intended to gain an advantage
2. an act or instance of such deception: mail fraud; election frauds
3. something false or spurious: his explanation was a fraud
4. informal - a person who acts in a false or deceitful way

Religious indoctrination is deliberate deception

Indoctrination is the process of "inculcating" ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or a professional methodology. "Inculcating" means to "to implant by repeated statement or admonition; to teach persistently and earnestly." Indoctrination is often distinguished from education by the fact that the indoctrinated person is expected not to question or critically examine the doctrine they have learned. As such it is used pejoratively, often in the context of education, political opinions, theology or religious dogma. Instruction in the basic principles of science, in particular, can not properly be called indoctrination, in the sense that the fundamental principles of science call for critical self-evaluation and skeptical scrutiny of one's own ideas, a stance outside any doctrine.

Religious indoctrination of the very young is deliberate. Not until age twelve do children start to develop mental ability that allows them think in abstractions and to create ideals and contrary to fact propositions. Religious indoctrination refers to a process of imparting doctrine in a non-critical way, as in catechism. Most religious groups among the revealed religions instruct new members in the principles of the religion; this is now not usually referred to as indoctrination by the religions themselves, in part because of the negative connotations the word has acquired.

Indoctrination implies forcibly or coercively causing people to act and think on the basis of a certain religion. All religions indoctrinate their adherents, as children. Some religions have commitment ceremonies for children 13 years and younger, such as Bar Mitzvah, Confirmation, and Shichi-Go-San. In Buddhism Temple boys are encouraged to follow the faith while still very young. Critics of religion, such as Richard Dawkins, maintain that the children of religious parents are often unfairly indoctrinated. The process of subjecting children to complex initiation rituals before they are able to critically assess the event is seen by Dawkins and other critics of religion as cruel.

How is religion trickery and cheating?

Religion perpetrators typically claim that their adherents will be granted an everlasting life-after-death. They claim that this life-after-death will be far better than life itself. The catch, however, is that the adherent must accept without questioning what the religion's perpetrators behold as true--and the adherents must comply in a manner according to the teachings of the religion's perpetrators. Religion perpetrators typically claim that a God is responsible for the adherents very being and the creation of everything. And they claim that this God is aware of everything that is going on including the actions of the adherents. Compliance of the religion's commandments usually entails that the adherents give a portion of their earnings to support the perpetrators and their infrastructure. Compliance also involves participating in perpetrating the religion further. Compliance also entails dedication of much time for prayer and learning more about the religion and its teachings.

To appear convincing, the religion's teachings consist of many truisms and common sense rules and practices for successful living in a social environment--one should not steal from others, or cause pain to others, etc.

Religion perpetrators threaten their adherents by telling them that they will be punished by God for non-compliance with their religion's principles. They claim that after death, their god will send them to a place where they will be a slave to a devil, be tortured, burned, and the like.

In summary, the religion perpetrators make claims which they cannot substantiate with reason that is recognized in law courts; they use psychological mind control techniques on adherents during childhood; and they benefit from their efforts by taking a portion of the adherent's wealth and coercing adherents with threats to further build their racket.

What does religion take from individuals?

Here's a short list of what the religion perpetrators fraudulently take from their adherents. For now I will just list them but I should expand on them later. 

• money -- the church coerces individuals to part with some of their wealth, some of which is used to support the lead perpetrators of the religion
  
• time -- the time taken for prayer and attendance of religious gatherings
  
• freedom of thought -- individuals are taught not to question their faith
  
• choice -- some religious practices involve prearranged marriage
  
• pleasure -- some religious practices involve female circumcision