DOCUMENTED VESSEL OWNERS BEWARE

[spottsvillle]

Received an official looking letter from US Documentation. The letter and website is made to look like its the Coast Guard. They even have USCGdocumentation.us as their email address (bet they thought that was clever) also Coast Guard links and videos that look like you are navigating within the Coast Guard adorn the website. They charge $75 to renew your annual Documentation and you can select to renew up to 5 years (Coast Guard charges $26 and you can do it in 5 minutes online EFT from your checking account or use a Credit Card here: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/1175233 ). I attempted to cancel three minutes after the transaction hit and you get a very long email full of legalese telling you you are not able to cancel. I protested in additional emails and left Voice Mails and only get other email threatening if you dispute the charge on your credit card that they will file a lien on your boat. The email came from"Captain"John Soria, again an attempt at clever.

So beware and spread these words of information and caution to your boating friends. Overpaying by 300% is like missing a marker and running aground. Please warn others of this Navigation hazard!!

[a64pilot]

I think your are the second to have this happen to, the website is apparently very real looking

[CalmSeasQuest]

A complaint to the CFPB public portal might result in an action against these scammers under a regulation known as UDAAP (unfair, abusive and deceptive acts practice.) This is the precise type of Consumer fraud being targeted.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

[nematon785]

USCG website is .mil not .us right?

[spottsvillle]

Originally Posted by nematon785

USCG website is .mil not .us right?

Right!

[CSY Man]

They got me too.
Had problems filling out a form, a guy called me and I said: Hou are the Coast Guard right...?
He said yes.
Direct fraud. To bad I did not record it on my smart phone.
Got no proof now and they later denied it when I asked them to look at the transcripts.

Got the same email from "captain" John Soria: They tried to black mail me not releasing my dockument unless I paid an additional fee for a Lien Release. Called the USCG and they said it was not necessary, my bank had already released the lien.
Told them I would get a refund on my Visa card as they had not delivered what I paid for. Got threats about putting a lien on my boat and taking legal action, ruining my credit, etc, etc.
Damn crooks.
DO NOT use these people..

[PDA1]

Originally Posted by CalmSeasQuest

A complaint to the CFPB public portal might result in an action against these scammers under a regulation known as UDAAP (unfair, abusive and deceptive acts practice.) This is the precise type of Consumer fraud being targeted.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Hope that's more successful than the "do not call list".

[delmarrey]

When paying stuff online, I always goto the vender. "Not them coming to me."
Hackers are becoming very skilled these days. Anytime one uses a Credit card online one has to MAKE SURE it's the right site.

I even got a virus on my MacBook a while back, which is almost unheard of, for Apple products.

[PDA1]

Here's their supposed email address;

pay.gov.clev@clev.frb.org

The is no domain name I can find named "clev.frb.org"

But, it might be....might be a "domain by proxy" situation and the registrant has a private listing.

FRB.ORG@domainsbyproxy.com

[PDA1]

Here's more. I suspect they are through the "domainsbyproxy.com" service.

https://www.domainsbyproxy.com/

They say on their page that you can file a claim by clicking on the link at the address above.
"Before filing a claim, you can try to resolve your issue by emailing the domain owner directly. The contact address listed in the Whois database is the domain at domainsbyproxy.com (e.g., example.com@domainsbyproxy.com). If contacting the owner does not resolve your issue, you can always come back and file a claim to get us involved."


You won't find who the Pay.gov people are but apparently you can contact someone at domainsbyproxy.com

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by nematon785

USCG website is .mil not .us right?

This is the actuall site USCG National Vessel Documentation Center, Fee Page


And this is where you pay. https://www.pay.gov/public/search/gl...a-a55c1f970aee

[PDA1]

Originally Posted by PDA1

Here's their supposed email address;

pay.gov.clev@clev.frb.org

The is no domain name I can find named "clev.frb.org"

But, it might be....might be a "domain by proxy" situation and the registrant has a private listing.

FRB.ORG@domainsbyproxy.com

Further, the bogus email address is probably and abbreviation for "Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank". But, The FED is no organization. (except an organized crime)

[seahag]

They got us too- identical