Fake USCG Registration site robbing $75 from Cruisers

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by alaskaflyfish

This website has the illusion of legitimacy. It is a purposeful masquerade of the real thing despite whatever good intentions its creator has. This is the same as people who dress up as police officers who hand out tickets to unsuspecting tourists who's fines must be paid directly to the fake officer.

It was the opposite for me. The first thing I look at is the address: dot us which means private company and not dot gov.

Knowing this I scan to find the disclaimer. The, "We're not the Coast Guard" statement. Bingo. There it is.

It's actually all spelled out in the OP.

The OP proves the solicitation is not from the CG using only information provided in plain sight by alleged scammer.

I get that people fall for this but they wouldn't if they read the information provided.

RIF, as demonstrated in the OP.

[Rhwins]

Its crazy that you got replies defending an obvious misrepresentation. Has this country gone crazy or what? On the other hand, maybe Wingless is in on the deal.

[Rigdaddy]

"jmschmidt
Re: Fake USCG Registration site robbing $75 from Cruisers

Renewals with the real Coast Guard are only $26. There are plenty of dishonest, not necessarily "fake" websites out there that rip you off for many dollars more that just going on to the real government website and doing your business for free or for a much lower price. Internal Revenue Service forms are shipped fee in any quantity you want from the real IRS but huckster websites sell them for exorbitant prices. Same with passport processing. Of course the huckster websites come up first on a web search because the hucksters pay Google, etc. to place their ads at the top. Government agencies do not pay the search engines. "
I agree. Thanks to Cotemar for providing the reference, even though "fake" is not accurate, the desire to help is appreciated.

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by Rhwins

Its crazy that you got replies defending an obvious misrepresentation. Has this country gone crazy or what? On the other hand, maybe Wingless is in on the deal.

What exactly is being misrepresented.

[HopCar]

I've gotten that letter and others like it for other services.
It is a scam in that they charge three times as much to fill out a form as you could do it your self. They don't break any laws as you will get your documentation renewed.

If you wait a week or two, the notice will arrive from the USCG, you sign the form, write a check for $26, stick a stamp on the envelope, and mail it.

You save fifty bucks and it doesn't take any longer than filling out the form for this slimeball.

I don't think the guy rises to the level of a rapist. Maybe a Nigerian Prince.

[Boatguy30]

I vote this thread be closed as it's perfectly legal to run a for profit business service in the country. In today's climate wouldn't he surprised if he gets a contract for "privatizing" renewals. That will be something to protest.

[alaskaflyfish]

I deleted my last post because I happen to agree with you that it is legal. It is also distasteful and predatory on the unsuspecting. That's just business nowadays I guess.

[HopCar]

Just curious, is anybody who has read this thread going to pay this guy $75 to file their renewal? If yes, why?

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Cotemar is talking about renewal not documentation. RTFQ which means "Read The Question."

DUHHHH
is what i was saying--you receive a notification.
you ignore that and renew without it. online. or on telephone.
saves ye a lot of dough as so many of you are so easily scammed.

[Oceandeep]

This just happened to me!

I received this official looking document indicating that my documentation was set to expire . I actually had my regular renewal notice in hand as well but I thought that I must have missed the deadline so I paid my $75. They were actually offering to renew it for multiple years at $75 per. Luckily I didn't choose that option.

I called the Coast Guard and they told me that they were aware of this group and that there were many of them operating this type of renewal service. This one just charges more than other companies.

Luckily they did pay the $26 to the USGC so I am renewed for another year but I'm out $49 for the privilege of an education on how to handle my annual renewal.

Be careful there are sharks in these waters!

[alaskaflyfish]

Originally Posted by Oceandeep

This just happened to me!

I received this official looking document indicating that my documentation was set to expire . I actually had my regular renewal notice in hand as well but I thought that I must have missed the deadline so I paid my $75. They were actually offering to renew it for multiple years at $75 per. Luckily I didn't choose that option.

I called the Coast Guard and they told me that they were aware of this group and that there were many of them operating this type of renewal service. This one just charges more than other companies.

Luckily they did pay the $26 to the USGC so I am renewed for another year but I'm out $49 for the privilege of an education on how to handle my annual renewal.

Be careful there are sharks in these waters!

They paid the $26. Aint it refreshing to know there are honest people in the world. /sarc

[toddster8]

There are hundreds of these kinds of scams. If I had the energy, I'd file a complaint with the attorney general of my state, and the state in which the scammer operates. But I get one or two of these every single day. Anyone who owns a small business learns to recognize them. They're trying to trick a busy person - or a secretary who doesn't know better - to write a "renewal" check for some service that is either many times the actual cost or will switch the service to a different vendor, or both. They do it for anything that is a matter of public record. Website registrations, telephone service, directory listings.
For that matter, there are also fake versions of every state's DMV office on line. All you have to do is pay Google to get your listing to the top of the page - the legitimate government offices don't pay, and show up at the bottom, or on the second page.

I would complain to my congressman. Except, gee, he's the guy who set up fake web pages for all the Democratic congressional candidates and paid Google to put them at the top of search results...

There be sharks in the water.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by KP44

A more legit service, like I used for my Mexico TIP, will say, "Our service costs US $100 and that includes the US $50 TIP fee."

We object to the seductive and misleading verbiage in this prospective agent's mailed advertisement.

I hope we will all stay civil and know we are all here to help each other.

Bingo I agree with KP44 on this one.

[Steve Bean]

I too received a "courtesy notice" as pictured in post #1 above. Although I don't doubt that the service would be performed as promised, I resent the DECEPTIVE FORMAT, obviously (on careful reading) intended to ensnare the unwary into believing that this is the U.S. Coast Guard's documentation service.
Coast Guard documentation is public information, available to anyone to research online.










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[Alphadog]

We just got scammed by this ploy last week. Thanks for the post. The real question is where does this guy get the information about our boat registery?