Atlanta police investigating woman giving away stimulus money

ATLANTA,None — Atlanta Police want to know if a woman who collected hundreds of people's Social Security numbers committed a crime.

A Fulton County employee shot video of Vanessa Emerson recruiting people at the National Action Network office this week.

Officials said she told people in line they could be eligible for $500 in stimulus money if they did not file taxes in 2010.

On Friday, only Channel 2 was there when Emerson's son handed the Southeastern Regional Director of NAN a trash bag full of completed forms.

"This is horrible, we the National Action Network, is not in the business of defrauding people especially our seniors," Regional Director Tyleis Speight said.

NAN is not affiliated with the stimulus offer, but Emerson is a member of the organization.

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All day a steady stream of concerned people filed into NAN's southwest office trying to get the form they filled out.

"I don't need my credit to be messed up," Tameka Walker said.

Authorities believe in all, 800 people filed out the stimulus paperwork along with their Social Security numbers, which the form requests, a date of birth and phone number.

On Thursday, Channel 2's Tony Thomas spoke to Emerson at her home.

"We wasn't sharing this information with anyone," she said.

In the same conversation, Emerson said she was working for someone.

An Atlanta police spokesperson told Channel 2's Erica Byfield on Friday an investigator is now assigned to the case.

WSBTV