A nationwide campaign will be launched to curb a growing trend of religious fraud conducted for profit at fake temples and by sham monks, as well as of businesses operating temples, said the country's religious administration agency.

"We'll conduct a thorough investigation of all religious venues and will firmly address wrongful behavior that exploits and distorts religion to amass wealth," Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, said on Tuesday during the first national conference on the management of sites for religious activities.

The licenses of venues that do not rectify misconduct within the required time will be revoked, he added.