The dangers of registering your yacht through an unknown party.
In normal daily life everybody agrees with the fact that you will store your passport, ID card or yacht ownership documents in a safe and secure place. But when it comes to the matter of yacht registrations most yacht owners send these important documents to anybody online asking for it without even knowing to whom they will send it to.
Major problems are increasingly being identified as a result of ship registrations carried out by a fraudulent registration agency. Not seldom offering Polish or other “exotic” yacht registrations.
Fraudulent agencies offering yacht registrations are not seldom run by criminal organizations. Their primary purpose is to obtain scanned passports, ID cards and ship ownership documents.
These documents can then be used for various illegal activities, such as:
Identity fraud: Criminals can use your identity to apply for credit, open bank accounts or even commit crimes.
Human trafficking: Stolen documents can be used to smuggle and exploit people.
Terrorism: Terrorist organizations can create false identities using stolen documents to finance and carry out their activities.
Additional risks:
In addition to the above risks, there is also a chance that your yacht registration will not be done correctly by a fraudulent agency. This can lead to:
Problems with the authorities: You could be fined or have your yacht seized.
Loss of your yacht: If the registration is incorrect, you may not be the rightful owner of your yacht.
The registration may even be carried out twice, with the second registration registering the ship in someone else’s name and therefore no longer being your property on paper.
How to protect yourself:
Do your research: Check if the agency is registered with the Chamber of Commerce and read customer reviews.
Ask for References: Contact the agency’s previous clients to ask about their experiences.
Be careful with low prices: Fraudulent agencies often offer their services at prices that are too low to lure you. This is a red flag.
Trust your instincts: If you feel unreliable with an agency, choose another party.
Register safely, without worries
By registering your yacht through a reliable agency, you can be assured that your documents are safe and that your registration is carried out correctly. This way you can enjoy your yacht to the fullest, without worrying about the safety of your documents and yacht.
At BlueWater Registration Services you benefit from more than 16 years of expertise and reliability and all your documents are stored encrypted in a secure environment.