Parents, employees fall for pastor’s camp scam

Parents, employees fall prey to camp scam. Photo via stock.xchng.

With the end of school here for some students and rapidly approaching for others, parents are trying to make sure that they have enough activities lined up for summer. At the same time, with a slow economy, many job seekers are clamoring for seasonal positions.

Unfortunately, some Atlanta area parents and job seekers found themselves the victims of an alleged camp scam devised by Elbert Toby Brown, who calls himself “Pastor Brown.”

Some of the victims claim that Brown’s ministry was to be running Camp Arie, a camp in southwest Atlanta, this summer. The camp was to provide hundreds of jobs in the area.

Carla Allen was hired by Brown to head personnel. She hired camp counselors under Brown’s direction. As part of the hiring process, she told WSBTV in Atlanta that she had the potential employees pay for drug tests and make donations to Brown’s ministry.

Including registration fees paid by parents, Allen estimated that $20,000 was collected for Brown.

Everything soured when employees showed up for an orientation and Brown told them that there were no jobs for them.

Allen reported Brown to the police. Brown is currently in jail on other charges. He has not been charged yet in connection with this scam.

Allen told WSBTV: “I just want to say that I learned from this, sometimes when things are too good, you might need to do a little bit more investigation.”

According to WSBTV, another local camp is hoping to accommodate the children that were let down by the scam.