Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Coos-Curry Inc. customers using the nonprofit’s Web site recently were diverted to other company sites through suspected fraud.

The switcheroo is believed to be perpetrated by DebtMatch.net, Coos-Curry Executive Director Debbie Pickering said. Those trying to contact the local office at http://www.cccscoos.org were taken to other companies’ Web sites.

A Coos-Curry press release said DebtMatch.net purchased “sponsored site” listings with search engines in order to show at the top of search lists. Pickering contends the company fraudulently used the “cccscoos.org” domain name and redirected consumers to other sites for companies offering debt settlement services.

“We don’t know how long this has been happening,” Pickering said. “At least two months.”

She said Credit Counseling first discovered the Web site hijacking last month and has no idea how many customers were affected.

After reporting this situation to affiliate agencies, Coos-Curry found its customers aren’t the only ones to fall victim to the scam. 

“Many of these agencies have reported back to me that they have found their Web site domain names are also being redirected, and we don’t know for sure how long this has been going on,” Pickering said.

She has filed a deceptive practices/fraud report with the Federal Trade Commission and with the Oregon State Department of Justice.

Pickering contacted the company and was able to convince the it to stop using the organization’s domain name in the search listings. However, the problem still exists for other agencies in Oregon and across the country, the release said.

Pickering encourages any Coos or Curry County residents who have either been contacted via phone by companies offering debt settlement programs or have contacted a company through the Internet to be extremely cautious of who they may be dealing with. Consumers should be sure they are working with an accredited nonprofit agency that is registered with the state of Oregon.

 “Don’t just take their word for it,” Pickering said. “You need to check them out.”

For more information, those interested can call Debbie Pickering at 267-7040.  Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Coos-Curry is located at 375 S. Fourth Street, Suite 100, Coos Bay, Oregon.

— Staff Writer Jolene Guzman