9/11 Fraudsters - Otherwise Known as Bottom-Feeding Con Artists

The 9/11 attacks was one of the most devastating events in our country's history. Yet after the tragic attacks, the scum rose to the surface, fraud artists claiming lost family members in the World Trade Center. It's hard to believe that these types of bottom-feeders exist. Several of them actually succeeded in walking away with hundreds of thousands of dollars in their pockets.

On March 21, 2002, the New York Attorney General and Manhattan District Attorney filed charges against 22 people for filing false claims for death certificates immediately after the 9/11 attacks, as relief funds and aid organizations were emerging.

Cantor Fitzgerald

The Cantor Fitzgerald brokerage firm lost 658 employees, 2/3 of their staff in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Several days after the tragedy, the husband of one of the victims filed a death certificate, and gave the New York City police strands of his wife's hair from a brush for DNA testing. His wife's name even wound up appearing on a World Trade Center Memorial list. The culprit received $65,000 from the Red Cross alone.

The Red Cross finally got suspicious and asked the scam artist to provide proof that his wife was an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald. When he couldn't, the police stepped in. As for his late wife, the NYPD discovered that the crook wasn't even married. (Disclaimer: As a wildfire survivor, I have nothing but good things to say about the Red Cross.)

The Domestic Partner

A fraudster tried to con The Empire State Pride Agenda, an organization helping gay and lesbian survivors of the 9/11 attacks, claiming that his domestic partner had died in the World Trade Center. The organization grew suspicious and refused financial aid. When the Florida-based con artist went to The Express, a Florida gay newspaper, to complain about The Empire State Pride Agenda organization, the paper launched its own investigation. They discovered that there was no domestic partner and the scam artist was a drifter. The police arrested him.

The Brother

A Michigan man claimed that his brother was killed in the 9/11 attacks. His name was Daniel Djoro. His brother's name was Daniel Zagbre. They shared the same first name; unusual but not impossible. In truth, Daniel Djoro was also Daniel Zagbre. He succeeded in swindling a total of $272,800 in relief aid.

The Sister

A New York woman claimed that her brother had gone to the World Trade Center to collect lottery winnings and never returned home. After she filed for a death certificate, the District Attorney's office found that her brother was alive in a hospital bed. He wasn't a World Trade Center casualty. He had been confined in the hospital for six years in a state of paralysis.

The Father

A Guyanese national, who was a father of 12 children, "invented" a 13th child. He claimed that he had dropped off his son "Wilfred" at the World Trade Center for a job interview. To prove "Wilfred's" existence, the con artist showed an old photo of himself as a young man. The crook collected a total of $190,867 from the Red Cross and other organizations.

The Cyber-Crooks

Two former employees of New York's medical examiner office were charged with defrauding the city of more than $10 million, funneling FEMA funds to fake companies that they had created.

Sources:

"Tall Tales of 9/11", Tom Shine, ABC News

"Couple charged with false death claim", Chris Gray, Independent

"Charges filed by New York Attorney General"

"Wicked Game", Dan Allen, The Advocate