‘Cash for Clunkers’ Identity Theft Warning
Cash For Clunkers 2, originally uploaded by 1bluecanoe
It goes without saying, you should never give personal information over the Internet, unless you are absolutely 100 percent sure you are dealing with an accredited website. With that said, there have been reports of a number of new websites having hung a business sign off the back of their computer and are busy collecting personal information from unwary ‘Cash For Clunkers’ consumers.
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has issued a warning to consumers, stating that there have been a startling number of Cash For Clunkers websites popping up. These websites are claiming that in order to get dibs on the program, interested consumers have to first register. Well, let’s set a few things straight here in case there is any confusion about the program…
Rule 1:
There is only one official Cash For Clunkers Website. If you are looking for official information on the program, this is probably the first place from which you will want to start! Everything else is just opinion.
Rule 2:
There is no registration necessary to take advantage of the Cash For Clunkers Program. This is pretty much a BYOC (Bring Your Own Clunker) program, which necessitates nothing more than you showing up at your preferred dealership, presenting your clunker, and making the deal.
Rule 3:
If you are at all unsure whether or not your vehicle qualifies by its average combined mpg rating, then visit the official www.fueleconomy website, as these are the only qualified ratings the program will be accepting.
There are a lot of websites offering unofficial information and criticisms about the program, but if you run across one asking for your social security and other personal information to pre-register, report them immediately, as there is no such thing!
