KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The AdHoc Group Against Crime is warning the public about a group pretending to collect money for the families of two girls who were recently murdered.
Alvin Brooks, president and CEO of the AdHoc group, said the two groups are pretending to be members of the AdHoc group or family members of Machole Stewart, who was recently killed in a drive by shooting.
“It’s most disturbing that people would capitalize on somebody’s grief,” Brooks told FOX 4.
Brooks said he learned about the scam when he received phone calls from members of the community asking if the AdHoc group was selling key chains to raise money for the families of Machole Stewart and Angel Hooper, who was also recently killed in a drive by shooting.
Brooks told FOX 4 one group was selling key chains outside of a Family Dollar store along Prospect Avenue. They claimed to be with the AdHoc group. Brooks said a second group was targeting people outside the Mazuma Credit Union on Blue Parkway. That group was selling laminated photographs of Stewart and claiming to be her family. The group said the money was going to the families of Stewart and Hooper.
“They were even taking names of people who made a contribution over at Mazuma and they had a piece of paper and said if you gave a dollar, put your name down,” Brooks said.
Kimberly Blackman, Stewart’s grandmother said she is disturbed and angry to hear about the scams.
“This is disgusting,” she said. “This is really disgusting, people coming by here saying they bought and gave and we don’t even know what they are talking about.”
Brooks told FOX 4 he fears the scammers have set up at other locations also. Anybody who comes in contact with the scammers is urged to report it to police.
