September 11, 2001 attack opportunists
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There were isolated cases of commercial opportunism following the September 11, 2001 attacks and subsequent 2001 anthrax attacks. Perhaps the most widespread accusation of opportunism was over gasoline price hikes that occurred across the United States.
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[edit] Gasoline price rises
Immediately following the September 11, 2001 Attacks, rumors of skyrocketing gasoline prices led to a consumer panic in the United States; in the evening, long lines appeared at gas pumps in many areas of the country. Some gas stations ran out of fuel by the next morning. Authorities quickly stepped in to enforce price gouging laws and gasoline quickly returned to prices in line with the price of crude oil which rose slightly after the attack. The main reason for the increase in the price of gasoline is because of the FAA grounding all air transportation. The pipelines that carry jet fuel to airports were filled with jet fuel, and no gasoline could make it to the gas stations, especially in the central parts of the US.[citation needed]
In Iowa, prices were rumored to reach $4.65 in the Quad Cities area, up from a typical range of $1.60 to $1.80 per gallon the previous weekend. The governor and attorney general issued statements to the effect they would investigate and prosecute instances of unreasonable price increases, and urged consumers to be calm. Penalty applied for gouging was $1000 USD fine if price exceeded $2.00 per gallon.
In Michigan some isolated gas stations briefly hit over $5.00 a gallon however the state attorney general vowed to prosecute for price gouging anyone charging over $2.00 a gallon. Some gas stations sold out of gas on the first night after the attack.
In Arizona a few gas stations in Kingman skyrocketed to over $5 per U.S. gallon after the attacks, a record increase of over $3 from its normal prices, which were around $1.80 per gallon at the time.
In Illinois, state attorney general Jim Ryan filed suit against convenience store chain Casey's Inc., for price gouging. The company faced a maximum penalty of $50,000 per offense if found guilty. Casey's subsequently offered refunds to customers.
In Minnesota, state officials declared there was no price gouging because people were willing to sit in hour long gas lines for 3 gallons of $5.00 gas. Some people were even filling up 30gal barrels with gas because of what people viewed as a possible shortage.
Cases were reported in Indiana, Virginia, Kansas and Missouri also.
At least in Missouri it caused a run on gas for a few hours due to local radio who reported the few isolated cases (giving them the name "shock jocks"). Which came first, the reports of price gouging or the price gouging?
[edit] Anthrax attacks
The 2001 anthrax attacks began one week after September 11, and the notes included in the anthrax letters made direct reference to September 11 ("09-11-01 / THIS IS NEXT" etc). The perpetrator(s) of the anthrax attack are unknown, but assuming that the two attacks are not linked, it follows that the anthrax attack was at least in part opportunistic.
[edit] Scientology
The Church of Scientology was roundly criticized in the media for opportunism at the Ground Zero site, sending Scientologist Volunteer Ministers to intercept victims and their families from getting to mental health workers at Ground Zero. The American Red Cross issued statements denying any Scientologist's claim of cooperation with them. [1]
Scientology was also criticized for exploiting media coverage; Fox News publicized for two hours a toll-free "crisis hotline" number they had received in a press release before a caller alerted them that the hotline was not run by the National Mental Health Association, a noted non-profit, but by "National Mental Health Assistance", a Scientology organization. In issuing a statement denying that the similarity of the two names was intended to create confusion, Scientology spokespeople referred to "NMHA" several times, meaning the National Mental Health Association and not their own organization by that acronym.[2] An official of the Association stated bluntly, "the Scientologists are using this tragedy to recruit new members." [3] [4]
In 2003 a Scientologist clinic, "Downtown Medical", opened and claimed to specialize in treating people for toxins inhaled from the 9/11 smoke, drawing further criticism. In December 2005, Scientology celebrity spokesman Tom Cruise was severely criticized after urging NYC firefighters to abandon their medication and switch to the Scientology clinic's Purification Rundown. [5]
[edit] Other opportunism
Several people fraudulently collected benefits for people who did not exist or engaged in other scams. At least $2.5 million was fraudulently taken.
Others, such as "motivational speaker" Kaz DeMille Jacobsen, have attempted to gain fame and admiration by making claims to have been in the towers during the attacks, when the evidence seems to show otherwise.
Numerous attempts were made by individuals, mostly by way of internet sales, to capitalize on the tragedy by boot-legging and selling novelty items like t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, etc. depicting remembrace of the victims and Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer's coined phrase of "Let's roll."
Critics of the airline industry bailout considered that to be a form of illegitimate opportunism.
In a sign that 9/11 related frauds were still going strong, in October 2004, New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer began legal proceedings to stop the National Collector's Mint from selling coins commemorating the attacks. Their national TV commercials say that the coins are made of almost pure silver recovered from the basement of the World Trade Center; Spitzer claims that he has reason to think that all points of these statements are false.
[edit] External links
- Story on anthrax spam
- A LINGERING LEGACY: Nothing Is Off Limits to Fraud, The New York Times, January 5, 2002
