Business Owners: Beware of Deceptive Mailings
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If you receive a letter from Corporate Records Service offering to file state paperwork for a $125 fee, don’t pay it. The Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida and the Caribbean (BBB) said it has received more than 100 complaints in the past week about official-looking solicitations from this Tallahassee-based company; all of which appear to be a scam.
The letter quotes Florida statutes requiring corporations to keep annual meeting minutes, then says completing and returning an enclosed form and the fee by Oct. 12 will “satisfy the annual minutes requirement.” While the law does require companies to keep minutes, they don’t have to be submitted, so this paperwork is unnecessary. The BBB also is concerned that Corporate Records is fishing for personal information.
If you are ever unsure about suspicious business mailings, contact the BBB, your accountant or your attorney.
Scott Berger, CPA, is a Entrepreneurial Services Principal at Kaufman Rossin, one of the Top 100 CPA and advisory firms in the U.S.
