"It's Blood Sucking Advertising...."

Marketing campaign targets Sandy victims with threats of hefty fines

Letters claiming residents could be fined up to $25,000 a day for oil spills are part of a sales tactic, state officials say

BY  HENRICK KAROLISZYN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

 Broad Channel homeowner Marianna Beck received a letter saying she could be on the hook for up to $25,000 a day in fines for Sandy-related oil spills. The letter turned out to be what appears to be a marketing campaign designed to drive unsuspecting homeowners to a private clean-up company. Beck called the threatening letter “blood-sucking advertising.”

A firm that cleans up oils spills is preying on Sandy-battered homeowners by circulating an official looking letter threatening hefty fines, angry residents said.

The letterhead logo is similar to that of the state Department of Environmental Conservation and states it is from the “Department of Environmental Remediation” — a phantom agency.

“Any person who discharges petroleum without a permit and fails to promptly clean up such prohibited discharge may be subject to a penalty of up to $25,000 a day,” states the ominous warning, mailed to Broad Channel and Rockaway residents last month.

Locals already under stress from trying to pick up the pieces of their lives were not amused.

“It looks like when life is unsettled the scum rises to the top,” said Marianna Beck, 60, who had the first floor of her Broad Channel home destroyed in the storm. “It’s blood-sucking advertising.”

The letter, dated Dec. 7, appears to be designed to scare unsuspecting homeowners to hire G.C. Environmental Inc., a Bayshore, L.I., company.

The DEC has a “Division” of Environmental Remediation that responds to hazardous spills, but is not affiliated with the company, agency officials said in a statement.

The president and owner of G.C. Environmental said Friday that the letters were sent by an “outside marketing consultant.”

“There’s nothing fraudulent about what we did,” Gregory Collins insisted, refusing to name the consultant. “The concept was for homeowners to be made aware when they didn’t even know they had spill numbers. There’s been no harm done. We educated everybody.”

The DEC has assigned “spill numbers” to more than 4,600 Sandy-related spills and this information is public, Collins said.

The targeted homeowners said it was a cruel marketing scheme.

Scott Blutstein, 26, a teacher who lives on Beach 133rd St. in Belle Harbor, said he felt preyed upon.

“The letter arrived just as the fear of looting was subsiding,” he said. “We thought being preyed upon was over. It’s horrendous that a company would do this.”

A spokeswoman for state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the office is investigating the issue.

“When we learned of this matter we immediately contacted the company and advised them to immediately cease and desist, and we are currently reviewing further legal action,” said spokeswoman Michelle Hook.

The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York said G.C. Environmental isn’t in its directory of 4.5 million companies.

“It does make you wonder,” said CEO Claire Rosenzweig. “People need to recognize what they’re reading to see if the company is selling a service.”

Rosenzweig said the BBB is creating a report on its website about the company.

DEC officials said they would not be fining residents for Sandy-related oil discharges and called the marketing campaign a scam.

“It is unconscionable that a company would try to take advantage of hurricane victims by threatening fines and then promoting the company as a solution,” DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said in a statement.

Collins insisted the “intent was not to take advantage of people.”

“It was to alert people to the regulations and the services we provide,” he said.

Sandy victims said they didn’t buy it.

Gina DiCecco, 28, whose Broad Channel home was inundated with 4 feet of water, said the letter infuriated her.

“I find it to be disgusting that while people are stressing enough trying to figure out how to make their homes home again, these letters add to the stress,” she said. “It’s not right.”