Katrina cons...been waiting for this

[viking611]

I wondered when the first of these would show up...

A Lithonia, Ga., woman charged with posing as an evacuee in order to gain money from the American Red Cross remained in the Cobb County jail on a $2,500 bond Tuesday.

Police arrested 36-year-old Beretta Jo Hogg on Saturday and charged her with theft by deception. According to police, Hogg showed up at a relief shelter in Marietta with her 8-year-old son. She claimed to have lost everything in the hurricane. Hogg waited in line, filled out the paperwork, and was given $1,300 in aid.

A woman who felt sorry for Hogg took her and her son into her own home. However, the son told the woman he attended school in Stone Mountain. The woman called authorities and Hogg was arrested and taken to jail.

Beretta Jo Hogg

 

[viking611]

also watch out for these...i think most of us are educated enough not to fall victim though


WASHINGTON (AP) -- At least 4,000 Web sites claiming to be Hurricane Katrina relief funds have popped up on the Internet and top U.S. law enforcement officials warned Tuesday that many could be fraudulent.

The number of Katrina-related sites has more than quadrupled in the past week, according to FBI officials.

"A devious few have sought to take advantage of our collective generosity," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said at a news conference to highlight the government's efforts to combat fraud.

The FBI has so far reviewed 2,100 sites, of which 60 percent are foreign and thus more likely to be bogus, said FBI assistant director Chris Swecker.

There have so far been no arrests. As of last week, the FBI had opened eight criminal investigations of suspect domestic sites.

Swecker said the number of probes has grown a lot in recent days, but he declined to be specific.

The Justice Department has a Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force looking especially at phony charities, identity theft, insurance scams and government benefit fraud. The American Red Cross, the relief group most frequently copied in Internet scams, also is working with authorities.

Officials again urged donors not to respond to unsolicited e-mails and to give only to well-known charities.

"If it doesn't look right, chances are it's not," assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher said.
------
On the Net:
FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center: http://www.ic3.gov/
American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org

 

[arniesarmy]

Man, talk about a last name matching the person

 

[randyrohm]

I think she may be telling the truth. I saw a clip on CNN about her.

 

[wilheim]

Sorry Viking, we are trying to keep these Katrina threads in World Events Forum.




Thanks, wil.

 

[edub69]

Man, talk about a last name matching the person

:lolBIG: