L.I. company faces $40,000 penalty for Sandy scam
By KELLY FAY
A Long Island-based company is facing a $40,000 penalty for sending out phony letters to Superstorm Sandy victims. Following the destruction caused by Sandy, G.C. Environmental Inc. sent letters to 2,278 New Yorkers claiming they would be fined up to $25,000 a day for petroleum spills on their property that occurred as a result of the storm. The company solicited their services as a way to avoid the penalties.
"It's unconscionable that a company would try to drum up business by preying on the misfortune and fears of victims of Sandy," said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. "G.C. Environmental's actions were not only unscrupulous, they were illegal. My office is here to stop this kind of malfeasance and will hold this and any other company accountable for illegal actions."
G.C. Environmental, a consulting, engineering and contracting company, identified New Yorkers with petroleum spills on their property through a database compiled by the DEC. The company then used the public database to solicit to property owners who had reported spills on their property.
According to Schneiderman's Office, the format of the letters closely resembled an official violation notice. The letterhead on the correspondence also contained a logo which closely resembled that of the DEC and also contained the abbreviation DER, which is commonly used to refer to the agency's Division of Environmental Remediation.
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2013-11-12-85808.113122-LI-company-faces-40000-penalty-for-Sandy-scam.html
