A recent small business scam is an official looking mailing from “Workplace Compliance Services”. The mailing looks like an official request from the Secretary of State’s office, however, in reality it is a request for the business owner to send money to Workplace Compliance Services to file with the Secretary of State on the business’s behalf. The fee charged is a significantly larger fee than a small business owner will incur if they do their own filing online. Small businesses, particularly Limited Liability Companies, have been the target of scam mailings seeking to trick busy owners into paying fees to third parties. These scams run the gamut from the clearly fraudulent, to this most recent one.
The Connecticut Secretary of State will never send unsolicited mailings to business owners seeking payment or information. In general, the Secretary of State only communicates via the email on file for the business. If there is no email on file, the Secretary of State’s office will send a postcard reminding the business to file its annual report online but it will not mail the form or request for payment via regular mail.
It is very important that business owners comply with state filing regulations regarding their business. If you have any questions regarding the status of your company or your filing obligations, please reach out to the attorneys at Rucci Law Group who will be happy to go over the process with you and help you decide if you need assistance.