Department of Justice Checking Oil Spill Fraud

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – U-S Attorney Jim Letten says people must be vigilant when asked for donations to help victims of the oil spill.

"Citizens have to be super careful if they are contacted by phone or if they're somehow solicited by any individual or charity that is seeking that person to part with any biographical, financial or private information."

Assistant U-S Attorney General Lanny Breuer says investigations will also focus on suspicious claims.

"People who purport to be something that they're not, that's exactly one of the types of fraud that we're going to go after."

Letten says the National Center for Disaster Fraud began with people exploiting Hurricane Katrina claims. He says it now includes fraud linked to natural disasters across the country. The center is setting up 150 electronic billboards across the Gulf Coast with hotline information for reporting suspected fraud.
For WWNO, I'm Eileen Fleming.