Vessel Documenting Web Sites Scam

[Valmika]

I did not misspell but I wanted anyone who is looking up documenting their boat to be careful of these criminal sites. I have seen them before but they are getting sneaker and better at spoofing actual us government sites. I will make this short as I would like this thread to go viral here. This Morning one of these "companies" almost got me for over $500. The one I went to was maritimedocumentation.us. It showed up at the top of a google search and did not say it was an ad. I got a bit confused by the dot us and thought it was real almost all the way through.



Here is more information from the real government site.

https://content.govdelivery.com/acco...letins/1a25ee8




The real government documenting web site:


http://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/

[letsgetsailing3]

It's true.


My preference is that these sites be required to put in a disclaimer that they're not an official government agency. Not sure if it's clearly marked or not, as I haven't seen the site you're mentioning.

[Thumbs Up]

There was some threads a few years ago... USCG did make it so that you cannot see the owners addresses anymore but maybe these guys still have a way in

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by Thumbs Up

There was some threads a few years ago... USCG did make it so that you cannot see the owners addresses anymore but maybe these guys still have a way in

Just take your documentation number and feed it into the FCC's ship station search. If you have a ship station radio license the FCC will return your name, address, and a few more juicy details all based on your documentation number. Great that the USCG took that information away, but in many cases it's only one more step away because lots of documented vessels have MMSI/station licenses. No guarantee that the radio license belongs to the owner, but probably a good bet much of the time.

[Island Time O25]

One way to avoid scammers when paying for renewal is to go directly to pay.gov site.

[GordMay]

maritimedocumentation.us
"Maritime Documentation Center is a private firm and not affiliated with National Vessel Documentation Center"

[Valmika]

Originally Posted by GordMay

maritimedocumentation.us
"Maritime Documentation Center is a private firm and not affiliated with National Vessel Documentation Center"

Yes Gord, I did see that. They however put it at the bottom of the page after all information and Credit card numbers are input. You can go through their whole process and pay without ever getting down that far. I say it's sneaky

[tkeithlu]

Very sneaky. I renewed a few weeks ago, having renewed every year since 2012, and did not notice anything amiss until I got to the fee - I knew it was $26, and they wanted $75. Note that the website address emulates a government site name, and all the site graphics pretend to be USCG.

[TrentePieds]

The simple safeguard is to scroll and read the entire site before putting any data such as CC numbers into such sites. Many will "harvest" the data as it is put in. The "Pay" button is merely a ruse. If you've been had for, say, forty bux, are you gonna go through the hassle of disputing the charge with your card provider? More hassle than it's worth IMO. So "ABC" - Assume nothing, Believe nobody, Check everything!

Pity it's come to that, but there you are. The glory of IT :-)!

TrentePieds

[Valmika]

[QUOTE=TrentePieds;3083654]The simple safeguard is to scroll and read the entire site before putting any data such as CC numbers into such sites. Many will "harvest" the data as it is put in. The "Pay" button is merely a ruse. If you've been had for, say, forty bux, are you gonna go through the hassle of disputing the charge with your card provider? More hassle than it's worth IMO. So "ABC" - Assume nothing, Believe nobody, Check everything!

Pity it's come to that, but there you are. The glory of IT :-)!

Yes I get that. $40 bucks is not worth disbuting. Since my Documentation on this boat was overdue they tried to get me for $450. The actual cost on the Coast Guard site was $31

[stormalong]

I get a notice in the mail every year from the USCG. Doesn't everyone? The notice has the website in it and in plenty of time to renew before late fees. I also get fake notices in the mail but they are obvious fakes.

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

It's true.


My preference is that these sites be required to put in a disclaimer that they're not an official government agency. Not sure if it's clearly marked or not, as I haven't seen the site you're mentioning.

Why would they do that?
Remember...They are CROOKS.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

Why would they do that?
Remember...They are CROOKS.

They would do that because they can be sued for fraud if they don't.

[Bill O]

Is the Maritime Documentation Center really a scam if they get you your documentation?

While it does cost a lot, many people use documentation services all the time to do the CG application and renewals. IMO the process is very simple, but many have better things to do and are willing to shell out $$ so they aren't inconvenienced w/such trivial matters.

[Montanan]

Reference USCG guidance in this regard. There is no reason to use a third party service, just go to the USCG website and follow the instructions and forms.

https://content.govdelivery.com/acco...letins/1a25ee8

Third Party Awareness
U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 06/14/2017 02:40 PM EDT
The U.S. Coast Guard’s National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC), located in Falling Waters, West Virginia, is the only entity authorized to issue Certificates of Documentation (CODs), Form CG-1270, valid for a period of one year from date of issuance. This document is required for vessels engaged in Commercial trade and is optional for vessels five net tons and over engaged in recreational use/activities.



Persons interested in conducting business directly with NVDC should visit the official Coast Guard website at: http://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/



The NVDC is aware that there are commercial entities that offer to manage the certification/renewal process on behalf of vessel owners for a fee. The Coast Guard does not endorse any of these companies, and the companies do not operate on behalf of the Coast Guard in any way. Any fees charged or agreements offered by such companies are in no way associated with the NVDC certification process. In addition, these companies are not authorized to issue any form of documentation, including travel letters and/or permits that authorize operation of ANY vessel. Customer complaints can be made through the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) website at https://www.ftc.gov/



To obtain official forms, visit the USCG NVDC website or contact NVDC at (800) 799-8362 or (304) 271-2400. Phone hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; phones are not manned on Thursdays. Application packages and documents eligible for filing (in .pdf format) can be e-mailed to nvdc.pdf.filing@uscg.mil or faxed to (304) 271-2405. COD Renewal requests (Form CG-1280) are accepted via vdc-pf-nvdcrenewals@uscg.mil with credit card payment of $26.00 via Form CG-7042.



The following products may be ordered online: Renewals (Form CG-1280), Late Renewals (Form CG-1280), Abstract of Title (Form CG-7043) and Certified Copy of COD (Form CG-7043) requests. From the main page, follow the “Order Products Online” link.



The Fee Schedule can be found here: http://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/instr/fee%20sch.pdf



Users are encouraged to register to receive notices and updates via e-mail by utilizing NVDC’s email subscription service. From the main page, follow the "Subscribe to NVDC Information" link. Please report any issues to the NVDC Webmaster.