BP today cautioned individuals and businesses to be alert for potential scams - including door-to-door attempts by unauthorized individuals who seek personal information or charge fees for safety training or other purposes in connection with the Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill response.
“There have been isolated reports of incidents in which individuals posing as BP employees have gone to people’s homes to scam residents,” said Mike Utsler, Chief Operating Officer of BP’s Gulf Coast Restoration Organization. “We want the community to know that neither BP nor its claims agency go door-to-door to collect personal data. Any data required for the claims process, employment opportunities or other matters is accepted only at BP claims centers and through authorized BP employees or representatives.
“In addition, those seeking spill response jobs need to know that neither BP nor its contractors are charging fees for any safety instruction or other training,” Utsler said. Utsler said that BP is committed to restoring the Gulf of Mexico and helping affected communities recover from the spill. “We also want to ensure that everyone along the coast remains safe from any predatory or illegal actions that could diminish ongoing restoration efforts under way.”
BP offers the following tips to safeguard individuals and businesses from scams of this type:
For more information about response efforts, visit www.restorethegulf.gov
BP Press Office, London, +44 (0) 20 7496 4076, bppress@bp.com
BP Press Office, Houston, +1 281 366 4463, uspress@bp.com