10 fake Obamacare websites taken down by California

In Sacramento, California – 10 fake Obamacare websites have been shut down.


All the websites mimicked the “Covered California” affordable health insurance website to obtain personal information for identity theft.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris, has removed all fraudulent sites connected to the roll-out, after a month-long investigation.

“These websites fraudulently imitated Covered California in order to lure consumers away from plans that provide the benefits of the Affordable Care Act,” Harris said in a statement.  “My office will continue to investigate and shut down these kinds of sites.”

The following are shut down sites web addresses:

www.californiabenefitexchange.com
www.californiahealthbenefitexchange.com
www.coveredcalifornia.com
www.shopinsuranceexchange.us
www.shopinsuranceservices.com
www.healthexchangeinsurance.com
www.shopforhealthcare.org
www.taxcreditinsurance.com
www.smallbusinesshealthoptionsprogram.com
www.stateexchanges.org

These sites are now blank pages of emptiness in the World Wide Web.

Health insurance plans sold outside the official exchange on the individual market before January 1, 2014 will not qualify for federal subsidies and do not have the guarantees provided by the ACA’s consumer protection provisions.




In September, the Better Business Bureaus nationwide warned about phony telemarketers calling pretending to offer information about the Affordable Care Act.

All the websites used names meant to provoke the state’s insurance exchange, duping consumers.

If consumers searched Google to find the Covered California site, they were presented with fake sites instead with the exchange’s logo displayed.

Users could purchase policies approved under the new law and qualify for a federal subsidy, then were taken to another private website of insurance companies and brokers.

Consumers are warned to sign up on the state’s site https://www.coveredca.com/.

Be wary of outside offers and policies from the exchange because you do not know if they can be trusted.

To avoid scams related to California’s health insurance marketplace, Attorney General Harris has released the following tips for consumers:

• California’s only official health insurance marketplace is www.coveredca.com, which is where individuals, families and small businesses can get information, compare plans and enroll.
• Be wary if you receive a call from a representative claiming to be a government official asking for your personal information like Social Security number or Medicare card number. You should not provide personal or financial information over the phone and should instead contact Covered California directly.
• If you are approached by someone offering assistance from Covered California, verify that they are a Certified Enrollment Counselor by asking to see their required ID badge or by contacting Covered California directly.
• Never pay someone for assistance with healthcare enrollment. Free enrollment assistance is available by contacting Covered California directly.

If you believe that you have been the victim of a scam, please report it by contacting Covered California directly or by filing a consumer complaint with the California Attorney General’s office at: http://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company

To contact Covered California directly, call (800) 300-1506 or email consumerprotection@covered.ca.gov

References:

California takes down 10 fake Obamacare websites – NBC News
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/california-takes-down-10-fake-obamacare-websites-2D11591128
November 15, 2013

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Shuts Down Imitation ‘Covered California’ Websites, Provides Tips for Consumers – State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-shuts-down-imitation-%E2%80%98covered-california%E2%80%99