‘Body Brokering’: Shady Rehab Recruiters Target Hawaii’s Homeless

Hawaii state officials and health providers issued a new warning to the community about a potential body brokering scandal targeting homeless persons experiencing addiction. While the scam has been happening in other states, it’s surprising to many to see it happening here. “Body brokers” are recruiting people to come and stay at substance abuse treatment homes in California.

They’ve already succeeded in getting a few people to leave. Witnesses say that two women showed up at a treatment center and housing facility for homeless persons in recovery. They were allegedly giving out business cards with an offer that seemed too good to be true.

Kauhale Health project manager Janet Nguyen said the women found one of their clients at Aala Park and walked back with him to their facility. As she explained, “Lots of red flags for me.” Nguyen went on to state, “She began to tell me that they’re here from there to try to recruit people. You know anybody that was interested in rehabilitation.”

The visit was recorded on Kauhale Health’s security cameras. Some of the staff who questioned them, including security guard Raul Rodriguez, said they weren’t hiding their intentions. Rodriguez said, “I mean, if you’re going to come to the streets over and tell homeless [people], ‘Hey want to come to California for free/ We’ll house you, we’ll feed you. All you got to do is just this this and this,’ I would go.”

The business cards had a web address and a phone number for a business called Santa Monica Rehab. After a quick search, center operator Dr. Scott Miscovich found a warning about the rehabilitation facility making false claims designed to lure unhoused persons experiencing addiction into the scam.

Alarming news stories have come out about an explosion of unregulated clean and sober houses in Southern California. They warn about similar tactics that have turned out to be fraudulent programs funded by insurance and taxpayer dollars.

Michael Lambert, the Director of the State Department of Law Enforcement, says that further investigation is needed before the recruiting efforts can legally be shut down. However it’s important to get the word out about the recruiting so vulnerable people will be aware. Kauhale Health has since posted a sign warning about the recruiters.

Many rehabilitation centers and sober living homes offer low and no cost options and financial assistance for homeless individuals. These programs are licensed and accredited and are a valuable alternative to unregulated facilities making dubious claims. In addiction recovery, as in life, the old saying holds true: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.