When you want to qualify for an emotional support animal (ESA) we understand the urgency and need to act fast, especially if you’re worried about your housing situation. While getting an ESA letter has never been simpler, especially when you work with reputable online resources like US Service Animals, unfortunately, this has opened up the door for ESA scam websites that take your money without giving you an ESA letter. What’s even worse is that some sites may provide you with a fake ESA letter, and if you use one it can result in you or a loved one getting into trouble.
The good news is that we’re here to help you spot ESA fraud. What’s more, we provide resources to help you report fraud. Read on to learn everything you need to know.
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What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
First things first, it’s important to determine what an emotional support animal is to avoid fraud. ESAs are support animals that help with mental health conditions like anxiety, bipolar disorder, loneliness, and depression. Unlike service animals and therapy dogs, ESAs are closer to pets than service animals. ESAs can also be any type of pet as long as they’re domesticated and non-violent.
While they’re protected under the Fair Housing Act if you have documentation, they don’t have the same protections as service animals, which are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Therefore, even if you have an ESA letter if you can’t say your animal is a service animal or even a therapy animal you can end up with fines or penalties.
What Is an ESA Letter?
Before we dive into how to spot ESA fraud, it’s important to know exactly what’s fraudulent about the process, and it starts with the ESA letter. In order for you to benefit from laws outlined in the Fair Housing Act (FHA), you need to have a letter from a licensed mental health professional.
These letters will include basic information about yourself, your pet, and the reason you need an emotional support animal. ESA letters can come from your personal therapist if you have one but one of the more popular options is getting one online, which is where ESA fraud comes into play.
Overall it’s impossible to claim that you have an ESA without an ESA letter, and if the letter comes from a fraudulent source you can end up paying fines and penalties, along with any money you wasted on the letter.
How to Get a Legitimate ESA Letter
If you want to get an ESA letter online we always recommend working with US Service Animals. All you have to do is complete our short and simple questionnaire and then we’ll help you connect with a licensed mental health professional. From there, a consultation process begins, and if you’re approved, you can receive an ESA letter. You can also work with your licensed mental health professional if you have one already.
3 Ways to Spot ESA Fraud
The best way to avoid ESA fraud is to know what it looks like. We cover some of the key things you need to know to identify ESA fraud. Whether you’re a landlord screening pets or someone who needs a legitimate ESA letter for housing assistance, knowing what to look for is crucial.
The Letter Is Missing Information
Notice that your ESA letter is missing information?
If it lacks any contact details or doesn’t appear to be written or signed by a licensed mental health professional, it’s an ESA fraud letter. Some websites are good at making them look legitimate, so check for all the legal requirements like their license number as well. Only registered nurses, doctors, physician’s assistants, counselors, social workers, and psychologists can write and sign these letters.
Instant Turnaround
When something sounds too good to be true, it likely is. When you visit a website and they guarantee an ESA letter in a matter of minutes, there’s a good chance it’s ESA fraud. Unfortunately, using a fake letter will only end up with you getting in trouble.
Registering Your Emotional Support Animal
Websites that have you register your emotional support animal without a letter are illegitimate. While it can be helpful to register an ESA or create an account with an online ESA letter provider for client support, this isn’t a legal requirement. If a website is telling you that you’re all set because your pet is registered in some database, unfortunately, that’s not good enough and won’t hold up.
Landlords should also be vigilant of this and make sure they’re presented with a valid ESA letter before making accommodations. ESA fraud doesn’t just hurt those who apply for a letter, it can also harm other tenants and property owners.
Cheap or Free ESA Letters
If a website is claiming to give you an ESA letter for a bargain, there’s a good chance that it’s ESA fraud. While everyone loves cheap prices, you get what you pay for when it comes to ESA letters. Licensed mental health professionals need to be paid, along with the platforms that connect you, so rock-bottom prices may be a scam.
Prevent ESA Fraud’s Code of Ethics and Conduct
Prevent ESA Fraud is a non-profit that aims to educate the public about ESA fraud and provide them with assistance. Here is their code of ethics and conduct:
- Any diagnosis obtained through a consult arranged through the website shall come from a currently licensed mental health professional.
- Any letter from any mental health professional (hereinafter “MHP”) shall come from an MHP licensed by the state in which the patient is physically located. It is a violation of state law for an MHP to diagnose and/or treat a client if the MHP is not licensed in the state in which the client is physically located, subjects the MHP to adverse disciplinary and/or criminal action, and makes any letter issued by the MHP to the client illegal during the normal evaluation process.
- The consult between the MHP and the patient shall be personal, meaningful, and sufficient to meet all applicable state standards for establishing a client/patient relationship, which include complying with all state teletherapy laws and/or requirements.
- No diagnosis shall be based solely upon the MHP’s reading and/or interpretation of an online form submitted by the purported client. Such online forms are NOT personal, meaningful, or sufficient to meet applicable state standards for establishing a client/patient relationship.
- No diagnosis shall be made without significant personal audio and/or video communication (as required by state teletherapy laws and/or requirements) between the MHP and the client.
- MHP shall establish that the patient is under the MHP’s professional care consistent with the standard of care in the licensing state.
- The MHP shall be available to complete additional forms for the client should a landlord, condo association, or other similar person or entity require them.
- The website shall not discriminate against clients who are seeking a reasonable accommodation from a college or university.
- The website shall NOT mislead the client with regard to his/her rights and responsibilities under Federal or state law. The website shall not falsely state that any registration is required to establish or assert any right under the law. The website shall not misrepresent to clients that an ESA’s rights exceed rights established under the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act.
- The website shall provide a phone number that clients may use to speak to a representative of the company during normal business hours.
- Ongoing legal support
- Discount for Veterans
Prevent ESA Fraud Press Release
Prevent ESA Fraud Certifies USServiceAnimals.org
USServiceAnimals.org has become the first online company to implement and pass Prevent ESA Fraud’s strict Code of Ethics and Conduct, reports preventonlinediagnosticabuse.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rohoboth Beach, DE)-Prevent ESA Fraud announces that USServiceAnimals.org has officially become a certified teletherapy marketing company to implement and pass Prevent ESA Fraud’s strict Code of Ethics and Conduct. Prevent ESA Fraud’s Code of Ethics and Conduct contains twelve strict guidelines for teletherapy marketing companies that lead to a legal and proper diagnosis for emotional support animals (ESAs).
“Many people would be surprised to learn of the widespread nature of online diagnostic abuse,” said attorney Dominick Latino of Prevent ESA Fraud. “Our mission is to protect unsuspecting patients as well as businesses and organizations from the potential negative consequences of dealing with emotional support animal scams online. We are proud of USServiceAnimals.org for seeking accountability and are happy to give them our full endorsement. USServiceanmals.org has made the investment to provide legal and ethical consultative services.”
The Prevent ESA Fraud team believes that recent “online questionnaire only” diagnoses, without a live phone or in-person consultation with a licensed mental health professional, are unwittingly placing people in the middle of an illegal scheme. The organization is passionate about the work they do and are thrilled to be able to offer both patients and professionals the information they need to ensure consistent legal adherence when it comes to obtaining diagnoses and documentation for emotional support animals.
Visit https://preventesafraud.com to learn more about Prevent ESA Fraud, view the guidelines for their Code of Ethics and Conduct, and see how organizations and websites can apply to become Prevent ESA Fraud certified.
About Prevent ESA Fraud
Prevent ESA Fraud is dedicated to eradicating online diagnostic abuse by online and telemedicine doctors & mental health care professionals. Their team seeks to help mental health patients and teletherapy businesses understand emotional support animal laws and implement legal and proper diagnoses from fraudulent online questionnaire diagnoses. Their Code of Ethics and Conduct lays out twelve distinct guidelines for telemedicine doctors and mental health care professionals who would like to provide proper and legal services to patients.
About USServiceAnimals.org
US Service Animals was founded in 2015 with the mission of educating and assisting people with disabilities through the use of animals. They are one of the leading online destinations for information on Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals, and the laws surrounding ownership of each.
USSA consults with mental health care professionals in all 50 states, and they pride themselves on being the ethical leaders in the space.
Click here to learn more about Prevent ESA Fraud.
Prevent ESA Fraud with US Service Animals
US Service Animals is a provider of legitimate ESA letters you can receive only after speaking with a licensed mental health professional. Not only does this help you prevent ESA fraud from happening, but it can help you get an ESA letter without having to worry. When it’s time to register your pet, work with US Service Animals for the best results online.
On the other hand, if you’re a landlord who’s worried about ESA fraud you also have to remain vigilant. Always screen pets and make sure ESA letters have all the required information. You also shouldn’t be afraid to ask for documentation because ESAs aren’t protected in the same ways as service animals.