Police investigate possible Hurricane Katrina scam
Police are investigating a possible scam after a group stood at a Kingstree intersection Thursday and collected about $4,000 for a New Orleans church they claim was flooded during Hurricane Katrina, Kingstree Police Maj Joseph Shaw said.
Four people who said they were from Louisiana stood at the intersection of Longstreet and Main streets Thursday with buckets and told motorists they were collecting money for the New Life Church of New Orleans, Shaw said.
“It was supposedly a church that went underwater with (Hurricane) Katrina, but we weren’t able to confirm that,” he said.
Kingstree investigators called New Orleans police to confirm the existence of the church but were unable to do so, Shaw said.
Police wrote the four people a citation for soliciting monies without a permit. They also confiscated the buckets used to collect the money and the money, Shaw said.
The incident remains under investigation, Shaw said.
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Reader Reactions
Firefighters use boots, not buckets; but Lisa has a point. If you’re giving away spare change, then I’d say it’s okay to put it into a boot…or a Salvation Army kettle at Christmas. Other than that, write a check. Those clowns with the buckets are scamming people.
People are idiots for giving money to people holding buckets.
I don’t care if it’s the fire department .. I’m not putting money in a bucket.
If you want to donate to a worthy cause ... write a check and get your receipt for tax purposes.
WOW .. that was easy!
Did they just escape from the Superdome? Were they still trapped in their attic? I always wondered why other states always thought the people of SC were so backwards. HURRICANE KATRINA WAS ALMOST FOUR YEARS AGO PEOPLE! These folks should have gotten the finger and a not so nice expletive to go in their buckets. Reminds me of when Bush quipped “fool me once shame on you, you fooled me you can’t get fooled again, sorry South Carolina.
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