Teen accused of stealing thousands in East Cobb Venmo scam

Teen accused of scamming drivers for fake donations

Federal agents, assisted by Alpharetta police and North Fulton SWAT, served an arrest warrant at an Alpharetta hotel that led to a standoff.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Cobb County police say a 17-year-old is accused of scamming drivers out of thousands of dollars by posing as a student collecting donations for a basketball team at a busy East Cobb intersection.

What we know:

Investigators said the teen, identified as Antrez Jenkins, stood in the intersection of Johnson Ferry Road and Lower Roswell Road asking drivers for a $1 donation. When people opened payment apps to send money, police said he would grab their phones and transfer much larger amounts before returning them.

According to investigators, the same scheme was reported at the same intersection the day before, with another woman losing $2,000. Police said there could be additional victims who have not yet come forward.

"If anyone feels they’ve been in anyway victimized or scammed by a panhandler or anyone soliciting money from them, by all means call us and report it to us," said Cobb County Police Department Sgt. Eric Smith.

Police also emphasized that roadside solicitation itself is illegal under Georgia law.

"Georgia law actually prohibited soliciting upon the roadway for rides or money. So if you see people in an intersection approaching vehicles to solicit money, that is not legal under state law," Smith said.

Antrez Jenkins (Cobb County Sheriff's Office)

What they're saying:

One of the victims, Brenda Laskey, said she encountered the teen on Christmas Day while stopped at a red light. With traffic light because of the holiday, she said she agreed to donate and pulled out her phone to send money through Venmo.

"He was doing something on my phone with the QR code, so I grabbed his phone and said give me my phone back now!" Laskey said.

She said the teen eventually returned her phone. When she got home and checked her account, she discovered $2,000 had been transferred out.

Laskey said she immediately removed her bank account from Venmo and changed her password, then tried to protect what remained of her funds.

"I also immediately drained less than $2000 thinking it would be rejected, but the next morning it showed I had an overdrawn account," Laskey said.

She called 911, and police said officers found Jenkins still at the intersection and arrested him. He is charged with robbery and theft by deception.

Laskey said she hopes sharing her experience will keep others from becoming victims.

"I just don’t want anyone else to fall prey to this," she said.

What we don't know:

Police advise anyone who wants to donate money to research organizations carefully and confirm they are legitimate before giving.