[Public-List] USCG Certificate of Documentation renewal

[James Cowhey]

I  almost fell for this one myself last year. Of course, the envelope and letterhead look like official USCG stationery.  I really believed it was from the Coast Guard!  I finally figured it was a scam when I realized I would be charged for the transaction. 

The actual online process at the Coast Guard website is quick and easy.   

Damn the Scammers!

James Cowhey
SV Mocuisle
Albert 30 #56

Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 23, 2020, at 12:44 PM, George Dinwiddie via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> 
> Beware of scams!
> 
> I just got a letter in the mail from "Vessel Documentation Portal" warning me that my Certificate of Documentation was set to expire. (It actually expires at the end of October. I went to the site, vesselrenewal(dot)us, and was filling out the renewal form when saw they wanted to charge $75 to renew. This didn't seem right, so I ran a whois on the site and found it's registered to
> 
>> Registrant Name: Vessel Renewal
>> Registrant Organization: Vessel Renewal
>> Registrant Street: 1900 E Beach Blvd
>> Registrant Street:
>> Registrant Street:
>> Registrant City: Long Beach
>> Registrant State/Province: California
>> Registrant Postal Code: 90802
>> Registrant Country: us
>> Registrant Phone: +1.8663430530
>> Registrant Phone Ext:
>> Registrant Fax:
>> Registrant Fax Ext:
>> Registrant Email: danny at seoexpertdanny.com
> 
> For those that don't know "seo" stands for Search Engine Optimization, techniques to make your web site appear higher in the results when someone searches. While there's some legitimate need to make a site show up for certain web searches, most SEO companies will completely misrepresent a site, and live by spamming site operators. So this slime-bucket has decided to misrepresent the USCG Vessel Documentation Center, also.
> 
> When I searched for the actual USCG Vessel Documentation Center, I noticed in the search results that there is a similar company, unitedstatesvessel(dot)us, also trying to skim money from documentation renewals.
> 
> While the USCG Vessel Documentation Center may not be optimizing their site for search engines, you can renew your documentation online for only $26 at https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/1175233
> 
> I don't know if the USCG sends notices to remind you to renew or not. I went ahead and renewed mine.
> 
> - George
> 
> -- 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>  When I remember bygone days                         George Dinwiddie
>  I think how evening follows morn;            gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
>  So many I loved were not yet dead,           http://www.Alberg30.org
>  So many I love were not yet born.                          also see:
>               'The Middle' by Ogden Nash     http://idiacomputing.com
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