Several Jewish households in metro Atlanta have received unsolicited letters claiming that their families may be eligible for Holocaust reparations, which Jewish groups have strongly condemned.
The fraudulent correspondence was sent from an organization referring to itself as the “Holocaust Survivors Compensation Program” or “Jewish Holocaust Claims Center” out of Vancouver, B.C. It states that “according to the findings of the Claims Resolution Tribunal (CRT) relating to Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation … your family name has been identified among those potentially eligible for compensation.”
Sally Levine, executive director of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, and Stacy Hydrick, director of the Antisemitism Response Network at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, have declared the letters are a scam.
“Our ask: Claims Conference and law enforcement are investigating and have requested images of the envelopes you received. Please send these to sallylevine@holocaust.georgia.gov. We will keep you up to date on our progress,” Levine said in a statement.
Decades after the end of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews and five million gay, disabled, and exiled people were killed by Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime, reparations are not a thing of the past. The German government acknowledges “suffering is still being felt deeply, both emotionally and financially” and provides financial relief for aging Jewish Holocaust survivors around the world, according to the Claims Conference.
However, the Claims Conference has explicitly stated they are “not affiliated with the organization, has not authorized these communications, and is not involved in sending or administering these letters. This letter is not legitimate. We are not familiar with this organization and cannot verify its identity, services, representations, or legitimacy.”
One recipient, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said the letter is sloppily written and contains several mistakes. She has “gotten pretty good at guessing the scams by now,” but receiving the letter made her angry and left wondering how a scammer got her personal information.
“I don’t want my address being put out there,” she said. “Whoever sold them this list, and whoever set up the whole mailing, scares me.”
“The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is aware of these communications and is working with the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust to ensure community members have accurate information. We encourage anyone who receives suspicious communication regarding Holocaust reparations not to provide personal information and to verify its legitimacy through trusted sources,” Hydrick said.
