June 23, 2009
It should come as no surprise that as soon as the Senate passed "cash for clunkers" — legislation granting vouchers to people who trade in their gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient cars — a host of scam operations would pop up trying to profit off the bill.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is warning consumers to not be deceived by official-seeming sites such as "Cash For Clunkers Headquarters," which claim to offer information on how to trade in your car. Sites that ask for personal information or offer a pre-registration opportunity should not be trusted, the agency said.
"There's only one official site for the government, and that's NHTSA's CARS.gov website," said NHTSA press officer Eric Bolton. "Folks should go there and not rely on "cash for clunkers" sites on the internet as they are not official."
The official site, Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) is the latest iteration of the plan to stimulate the auto industry through convincing buyers to trade in their Humvees for eco-friendly models. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has said the bill could jumpstart sales of up to 150,000 cars.
But the bill has been criticized by Republicans for costing too much, as well as some Democrats and environmentalists for not promoting stricter fuel emissions standards or emphasis on renewable fuels.
