JACKSON, Miss. - Thousands of Gulf Coast residents have been told they must repay millions of dollars in federal Hurricane Katrina benefits that were excessive or, in some cases, fraudulent.

In Mississippi alone, the

Federal Emergency Management Agency said it is seeking $4.7 million from 2,044 people, telling them in a form letter that they have four months to repay or set up a payment plan.

Some storm victims got duplicate or extra benefits because of FEMA errors, FEMA spokesman Eugene Brezany said, and others might have received benefits for expenses that later were reimbursed by insurance settlements.

Some others benefited "by intentional misrepresentation" or the mistaken belief that secondary residences qualified for payments, he said.

More people could get repayment notices as more applications are reviewed, Brezany said. Recipients could have received $2,000 to $26,200.

People who get the form letter have 30 days to respond. If they don't meet the four-month deadline, the U.S. Treasury will attempt to collect the money, Brezany said.

James McIntyre, FEMA spokesman for Louisiana, could not immediately provide figures for his state or others hit by Katrina. Aaron Walker, the agency's chief spokesman, said in an e-mail he also could not immediately respond.

The form letter sent to the aid recipients said that they could appeal the charges. Even so, it said, "FEMA strongly encourages" them to pay the debt or set up a repayment plan to avoid being charged penalties or interest in case the appeal fails.

Federal auditors have faulted FEMA for much of the benefit abuse after last fall's hurricanes, citing an inadequate accounting system. The federal

Government Accountability Office has said thousands of inappropriate payments were made because people could repeatedly apply for and collect benefits.

In February, audits by the

General Accounting Office and the Department of

Homeland Security found that as many as 900,000 of the 2.5 million applicants who received aid under FEMA's emergency cash assistance program — which included $2,000 debit cards given to evacuees — were based on duplicate or invalid

Social Security numbers, or false addresses and names.

Also in February, the Justice Department said federal prosecutors charged 212 people with fraud, theft and other counts in scams related to Gulf Coast hurricanes.

.........Now I understand that people may have mislead FEMA, but seeing as how, oh, I dunno....FEMA FUCKED THE HELL UP, they would let this go.

I had a really funny call over in tech support today. I take sup escalations now, and I had a customer who was the wife of someone who works for FEMA. Basically, DSL is not available in her area anymore, the central office is full and cant take anymore orders.

So she's flipping out .. "my husband now can't get in touch with his job. he works for the government. Now if they need him for an emergency they're going to have to call him on the phone".

Like um ... WHAT?! "Crap, Katrina's hitting ... better email the rescue workers!" Is this why they fucked up with Katrina? Everyone was only getting informed when they opened up their hotmail?!

FEMA wants money back?

PLEASE!!!

They're the idiots giving out money to people who don't even need it! Granted not their total fault they are being lied too, but ... ugh...

They have some nerve demanding money back when if it was up to them, IMHO, they would have never had to offer any assistance.

Geeze!!

God that makes me so pissed. They have the NERVE to ask for money back.

I really want what ever the hell they are smoking...

FEMA has screwed themselves in the ass more than those cowboys up on Brokeback Mountain. Are they deliberately trying to make everyone hate them so they'll fold and they don't have to operate anymore?

Of course some people took advantage, but it was up to them to see who really needed money and who didn't.