Suspicious Website nationaldisabilitybenefits.org

 I was asked by a friend if the website nationaldisabilitybenefits.org is a scam and I decided to check it out.

The Website

First of all, the actual owner of the website is not mentioned in the registration information that comes up with a WhoIs search. 

The site was purchased on May 20, 2019 through Namecheap and its IP is located in Lansing, Michigan.

A second website national-disability-benefits.org was registered a few months after the first and its registrant information is also withheld.

In my opinion, if I am going to provide any of my personal information to a website, I think I have a right to know who's running it. Granted, the only information they ask is for your age, name, telephone number and email address, but there's no way for you to know what they plan to do with that information and if they plan to share/sell it with others.

They also have a Facebook page which mentions that the page administrators are located in the United States, Canada and the Cayman Islands. No personal names of the admins are provided, though.

Digging a Little Deeper

A phone number is provided on the Facebook page, so I had a look for 833-610-1114 to see what came-up.

The number was purchased through Bandwidth.com in June 2020 and I cannot definitively find a personal name for the person who purchased it.

On the Privacy Policy page of the first site, I found an address: 301 W. Platt St., #616 in Tampa, Florida.

Doing a simple search of the given address, it appears to be a shopping center, as verified by doing a BeenVerified search of the address. However, other businesses also seem to be associated with this address when I did a Google search:

• Blue Modo Media (an email marketing firm)
• DailyProsper (website offering guidance for managing your money)
• EnergyWise.Solar (helps you find out how you can have solar panels installed for your home)
• LegalCompensation.org (legal help for people who have been injured in an accident)

My Conclusions

Personally, I wouldn't trust National Disability Benefits with any of my information.

First of all, they've taken serious effort to conceal whoever it is actually running the website. Whether on its Facebook page or either of its two websites, no names are provided to the public so that we can know exactly with whom we are giving our personal information. I can find no business registration in any state for National Disability Benefits.

Secondly, it goes without saying that people who are disabled either by birth or through an accident would be particularly desperate to receive some sort of financial help. Back in 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued this warning for people who may be the targets of scams. It wouldn't be unusual for someone to pose as a company or agency offering "assistance" to people seeking financial benefits for the disabled. 

Third, there is really no telling with whom, if anyone, National Disability Benefits will share your information. Since Blue Modo Media is associated with the same address as National Disability Benefits, this makes me wonder if they might benefit from whatever contact information is shared with National Disability Benefits, since they would have the most from which to benefit, compared with other businesses associated with that address. Catherine Cosipe is listed as the "Head of Technology and Support" for Blue Modo Media and shows-up twice when I searched for her name on a Scampulse page.

So, there is no real reason for me or anyone else to trust National Disability Benefits and everyone is advised to not shre any of your personal information with them.

Duane Browning

Venmo: @Duane-Browning-1

CashApp: $DuaneBrowning