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CROMWELL, Conn. — When coping with a disaster like flooding, victims find themselves at a loss as to where to begin when rebuilding and replacing belongings. Replacing vital documents like birth certificates, drivers' licenses, Social Security Cards, etc., is another task that can seem daunting. Better Business Bureau warns victims to beware of unsolicited offers of assistance in replacing these essential documents for an upfront fee. You could be dealing with a scammer.
How the scam works:
In the past, consumers have submitted reports to Better Business Bureau about "lookalike" websites that offer to help with everything from updating postal addresses to renewing or replacing ID cards and documents for an upfront fee. In many instances, they later discovered they could have accomplished their goal for little or no money and provided personal information to an unknown third party. Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut wants local residents affected by flooding to be mindful of this scam as they continue to clean up from recent heavy rainfall.
Scammers also continue to call and text people stating they need to replace Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security cards. Those agencies do not operate that way!
BBB warns you to be mindful of any links you click on when searching for information, so you are not led to a site pretending to be the official agency.
How to avoid falling victim to a fake document replacement scam:
- Confirm the URL before entering personal and financial information. It can be easy to click on a sponsored ad or impostor website without noticing. Before typing any sensitive information, double-check that the website and the link are secure. (Secure links start with "HTTPS://" and include a lock icon on the purchase page.)
- Be wary of third-party websites. There are legitimate passport assistance services but check with BBB.org first to ensure you aren't sharing your personal or financial information with a scammer.
- Make online purchases with a credit card. Users can dispute fraudulent charges made on a credit card, which might not be the case with other payment methods. Unfortunately, there is no way to get back the personal information you may have shared.
Some state and federal agencies will replace certain documents free of charge when an emergency is in effect.
Find information on replacing cards and documents at USA.gov's Replace Your Vital Records page.
For more information:
If you have been the victim of this or another scam, make others aware by filing a report on BBB.org/ScamTracker and contact the Federal Trade Commission to recover from possible identity theft.
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