ID Theft Scam of Seniors in GA? Rev. Al Sharpton’s Atlanta HQ Admits Handing out Possibly Bogus Stimulus Check Forms to Hundreds of Senior Citizens (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on October 2, 2011
Rev. Al Sharpton's Atlanta headquarters has admitted handing out potentially bogus stimulus check forms - could be identity theft scam
Possible scamming of seniors in Atlanta — possible scumbags with Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
From 11Alive News, Sharpton’s Atlanta HQ admits handing out possibly bogus stimulus check forms:
ATLANTA – So far, no one has proven it’s a scam, but they haven’t proven it’s for real either.
This week more than 700 senior citizens filled out a rather skimpy form promising a $500 check from the American Opportunities Stimulus Program.
They filled in sensitive information like their name, address, birth date and social security numbers, all with the promise of getting a Visa Check card in return.
But on Thursday, Fulton County government put out a warning that it might be an identity theft scam.
They even sent their own camera crew to the Atlanta headquarters of Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, where the forms were being handed out by Vanessa Emerson and her son, Brandon.
In the video Vanessa Emerson can be seen brandishing a photo copy of a U.S. Treasury check saying, “I’m going to show ya’ll, I got my money.”
After the alarm went out, Brandon Emerson returned hundreds of the forms to the NAN headquarters at 632 Peoples Street so they could be given back to the seniors who filled them out.
From WLTZ, Scam targets Fulton County seniors:
Fulton County, GA (WXIA) – Fulton County is warning seniors about an identity theft scam that was apparently sending people to a house in Atlanta. The scam offers stimulus money, but in exchange for personal information.
Seniors were told to go to an address in southwest Atlanta to fill out a form to get $500 in stimulus money. People who showed up at the residence said they heard it from a friend of a friend.
The form asked for name, address, phone number, social security number and birth date. By late this afternoon, word spread again, but this time, the word was “it’s a scam.”
The address is the southeast region office for Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. But NAN’s Executive Director Tamika Mallory told 11 Alive News, “We had no knowledge of what was going on. We would never authorize anything like that.”
From WSBTV, Woman accused of scamming seniors:
Fulton County officials fear a southwest Atlanta woman is preying on the elderly with promises of a big government stimulus check in exchange for private information.
The accused woman, Vanessa Emerson, told Channel 2’s Tony Thomas she is only trying to help struggling people.
Thomas stopped by Emerson’s apartment Thursday. She denied any wrongdoing in what her paperwork calls the American Opportunities stimulus monies.
“We wasn’t sharing this information with anyone,” Emerson said.
In a video provided to Channel 2 by the Fulton County government, Emerson can be seen sitting in front of the National Action Network’s Atlanta office Thursday morning. A long line of people are waiting to fill out forms with the promise they will receive a $500 check from the government. Emerson shows the crowd a copy of the check she said she received.
“If you don’t apply for this money, it goes back to the government, so that’s why we are here to let everyone know about this money,” she said in the video.
The forms ask for Social Security numbers, birth dates and other data. Rosemary Samuels is among hundreds of people who have filled them out.
“You didn’t have to pay out no money, so you aren’t losing anything,” Samuels said.
County leaders fear seniors among others are being taken advantage of.
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