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CNN Live Today

09-11 Attacks Create Opportunity For Those Who Lost Nothing But Sense of Compassion

Aired March 22, 2002 - 10:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The September 11th attacks prompted an unprecedented outpouring of sympathy and support for those who lost loved ones. And it also created an opportunity for those who lost nothing more than a sense of compassion.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa looks at growing allegations of fraud, and the legitimate victims who are encountering more hardship as a result.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost every day since September 11th, Julia Hernandez makes the familiar rounds, in search of financial help. Her husband, a cook at the restaurant on top of the World Trade Center, left four children behind. She has gotten help from the Red Cross and a local victims' group. Because she and her husband are undocumented, the aid has been the result of her tenacity. But sometimes, there is no help available.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You didn't get any aid from FEMA at all?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But you did ask for it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

HINOJOSA: And what's likely to cause even more pain for people like Julia Hernandez: today in New York, charges of fraud against people who claimed they lost family in the September 11th attacks.

ROBERT MORGENTHAU, MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Twenty-three people have been charged for falsely filing death certificates, claiming that members of their family died in the attacks on the World Trade Center so that they could obtain emergency relief funds. Fifteen of the defendants actually obtained a total of $760,000 based on fraudulent claims. The other eight were caught before they received any funds.

HINOJOSA: Some were called professional con artists, charged with fraud previously. Still, this crime sets them apart.

ELIOT SPITZER, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: It just strikes to the core of our moral structure. Those who would violate this sense of what is right and wrong deserve to spend a long time behind bars.

HINOJOSA: Many charity organizations say that right after September 11th, looking out for fraud was not a priority. They were only interested in getting people help, fast. But now, they have created internal fraud review panels to deal with the issue.

In a statement, the Red Cross says: "We are cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities. All cases brought to our attention by such authorities, or through our own internal investigations, are immediately frozen pending resolution of these cases."

(on camera): the amount of money some of these people allegedly scammed was also shocking. One man from Michigan who claimed he lost his brother received more than $270,000 from the Red Cross and Safe Horizon. The smallest amount: $1,000 for a Florida woman who claimed her ex-husband had died in the attacks.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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