""A multistate identity theft scam that claims President Barack Obama will pay your utility bills appears to have widened. According to MSNBC.com, more than 2,000 customers in Tampa, Fla., fell for the fake offer last week.
The scheme was first reported in May, when Dallas-based Atmos Energy warned its 3 million customers in 12 states that scammers had been asking for Social Security numbers to enroll in the faux federal program. According to the pitch—distributed via email, Facebook, text message, phone and, in some cases, door-to-door sales—the government would pay a month of energy costs through credits offered by the Obama administration.
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The offer even includes a fake Federal Reserve bank routing number for those who enroll, and solicits "success stories" to pass along to friends online.
According to the Lehigh Valley Morning Call, some residents said that their duped neighbors were enlisted to spread the offer. "My neighbor comes running with a paper that had a routing and account number," Caroline Morales of Bethlehem, Penn., told the paper. "She said Obama was helping people pay their utility bills, mortgage and any bills you had."
Although various government programs to assist low-income households with their utility bills do exist, Snopes.com notes, "there is no government program that provides blanket grants to cover everyone's utility bills in full for a whole month.""
So, there you have it folks, the hysteria generated by the Obama 2008 campaign has been transformed into an identity theft scam that apparently works based upon the current entitlement wave washing over the American public. Great job Mr. President as you fundamentally transform the Nation to the "Great Entitlement Society."
4 comments:
While the scam is problematic, so is your post. Seriously? Scams like these have been around forever, and pray on people under all presidents, corporate leaders etc. Do you blame Bill Gates for creating a successful company when scams work against him? Does it seem irrational to do so? Then why does it seem rational to place the blame solely on Obama for this? Almost none of the blame for this should fall in Obama's lap.
mackler, my post is fact; not problematic. Next, name any scam in the past that has been done in the name of any US President. Name any scam in the past done in the name of a corporate leader.
As for blame, please re-read my last paragraph. I'll give you a clue, "based upon the current entitlement wave washing over the American public. Great job Mr. President as you fundamentally transform the Nation to the "Great Entitlement Society." Hopefully, you'll see a connection. Thank you for your comment.
Mackler, I'll be a little more direct than Lionhead. People on your side are fools.
When Bush was elected, we didn't have people running into the street exclaiming "Bush is going to pay for my gas!"
We did have people breaking the law and then telling cops they couldn't be arrested and ticketed because Obama was now the President.
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