Tag: Indiana

Corporate Compliance Scam Continues. . .

. . But some of the perpetrators may have been caught.

California

California businesses have recent reports.  The scam seems to have been operating in California for years.

Colorado

There are reports of the scam in Colorado: State Corporate Compliance fraud. The Secretary of State is also getting complaints about the Colorado Compliance Recorder: Updated Notice Regarding “Annual Minutes” Solicitations

Indiana

Indiana issued a warning that several businesses have reported receiving a deceptive letter that would appear to come from an official government source. The letter solicits an annual fee of $125 or $150 and claims it will be used for record keeping and processing of a company’s annual minutes. It gives the appearance of coming from a legitimate government agency and cites fictitious state law. Scam Alert for Businesses in Indiana. But the Secretary of State has filed a complaint to try to stop the scam.

Montana

Montana has issued a warning, although the Secretary of State has not received any complaints and is not aware of any Montana businesses being affected: Business Scam Alert (.pdf) (I am not sure that I agree that the scam is “potentially dangerous.”)

New York

In the Empire State, it looks like the scam has spread to condominiums and cooperatives: Scam or Useful Service? The Corporate Records Compliance Office Speaks

Texas

It looks like the scam has been operating in Texas for a few years, masquerading as a state agency.  They may have caught the person behind some of it: Californian Charged With Unlawfully Profiting From Fake State Document Scheme.

Others

Previously, I noted that the scam was found in Florida, Georgia, Illinois,  Massachusetts, and Ohio.

Catching the Bad Guys

Its not clear if the scams in each state are perpetrated by the same group. The Indiana Secretary of State filed a complaint against Aaron V. Williams of Las Vegas, Lisa Diane Brown of California and several companies affiliated with them. (Of course these people have merely charged and are not necessarily guilty.)

UPDATE:

The Texas Attorney General filed suit against other parties, but the suit was dismissed.

References:

Corporate Compliance Fraud in Georgia, Florida and Massachusetts

Just like the Corporate Compliance Fraud in Ohio, Compliance Services is also targeting companies in Georgia, Florida and Massachusetts.

The Daily Citizen is reporting Georgia corporations warned about solicitations. The Georgia Secretary of State issued a warning:

“Several corporations registered with the Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of State received a letter from Georgia Corporate Compliance, a private company offering to complete corporation meeting minutes on behalf of registered corporations.”

The Attorney General of Florida also issued a warning:

Over the past several months, the Attorney General’s Office has received numerous complaints against several of these companies. Last week the Attorney General settled a lawsuit against one such company, Corporate Compliance Center, over allegations that the company misled Florida businesses relating to the sale of corporate minutes reports. Two other companies, Corporate Minutes Compliance Service and Corporate Minute Services, were prevented from operating in Florida when the Attorney General’s Office threatened litigation.

Bill Galvin, the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued his warning:

Recently, an entity calling itself “Compliance Services” mailed solicitations entitled “Annual Minutes Requirement Statement Directors and Shareholders” to numerous Massachusetts corporations. This solicitation offers to complete corporate meeting minutes on behalf of the corporation for a fee. Despite the implications contained in the solicitation, Massachusetts corporations are not required by law to file corporate minutes with the Secretary of State.

Thanks to Corporate Compliance Insights: Compliance Scam Alert in Georgia: Corporate Minutes Hoax Not Limited to Ohio.

See also: