Scammers never take a holiday and that is true of the BP oil spill as well. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned both businesses and consumers this week of potential scams related to the oil spill.
The FTC is cautioning people to take care when approached by someone claiming they are raising money or offering remediation services related to the oil spill. Scams may come through emails, flyers, mailers, telephone calls, or even door-to-door solicitation. These people may tell you that they are collecting money for an organization such as the Humane Society or a food bank to help those affected by the spill. Of course, they are going to play on your sympathies to try to get as much money as possible.
Others may tell people in the areas affected that they can help get their loss claims filed faster. There may be people that come by wanting to check your property for oil leakage. While this may seem harmless, they may be trying to gain your trust and get your personal information for fraudulent purposes.
The FTC pointed out that ESIS, BP’s authorized claims administrator, is not charging for claims. Once you file a claim, an ESIS adjuster will contact you, but to double check this is legit. After you file a claim, BP gives you a claims number, so make sure the adjuster knows that number. And don’t let a so-called “government” official say they need a processing fee for anything because that is a scam as well.
The FTC is asking you to check the credentials of anyone that says he or she is an authorized rep of BP. Don’t sign anything or give out any personal information until you can verify they are legit. Legitimate people shouldn’t ask for money up front, so that is a clue they may be bogus.
If you want to give to charities to help rescue animals or help out the people harmed by the oil spill, your best bet is to contact a reputable charity either by phone or online. You can check at the Better Business Bureau to see who’s on the up and up and who’s not.
If you catch someone trying to scam you, please report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 1-866-720-5721.