Alert: Scammers saying that they are calling from the VCF
Wanted to make sure you knew that there apparently are scammers making calls to 911 responders saying that they are the VCF looking for personal information. If you receive a call with questions about your VCF claim or your potential eligibility for compensation from someone that you suspect is not VCF staff, you should not provide any information to the caller.
Below is the notice from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) website.
ALERT: The VCF is aware of calls being made by unknown persons claiming to be the VCF. These callers ask questions about the status of an individual’s VCF claim, state that the individual may be entitled to money, and/or ask for personal information in order to mail a claim package or file a claim on the individuals’ behalf.
If you receive a call with questions about your VCF claim or your potential eligibility for compensation from someone that you suspect is not VCF staff, you should not provide any information to the caller. When possible, please note details about the call (date, time, caller ID if available, name of caller, questions asked, etc.) and report the call to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or online at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
Calls made by VCF staff follow a standard protocol for validating the claimant’s identity. Effective immediately, the VCF will never ask you for your full Social Security Number. If you are uncertain whether the caller is from the VCF, please end the call and contact the VCF Helpline at 1-855-885-1555.
Please share this email with other 9/11 responders and survivors.