Submitted by UCS on June 13, 2013

Scam Alerts: Florida and Virginia

Scam Alert in Florida- June 13, 2013

 The Florida Secretary of State posted this consumer alert on their website:

CONSUMER ALERT: Once an entity is properly formed, incorporated, organized, or registered on the records of this office, it is not required to purchase or receive a certificate of status to be considered a valid business entity or registration. Please disregard any notices or solicitations you may receive to the contrary. These notices are NOT from the Dept. of State, Division of Corporations, or any other state or federal agency.

 Scam Alert in Virginia- June 7, 2013

ALERT TO VIRGINIA CORPORATIONS REGARDING SOLICITATION FROM CORPORATE RECORDS SERVICE (06/05/13)

The Clerk’s Office of the State Corporation Commission has received a number of inquiries recently concerning a business operating under the name of Corporate Records Service, whose address is listed as 7109 Staples Mill Road, #402, Richmond, VA 23228-4110. The inquiries relate to unsolicited mailings received by Virginia Corporations from Corporate Records Service that include an official-looking form titled “2013 – Annual Minutes Form” and an offer from Corporate Records Service to prepare the document for a fee of $125.

 The solicitation notes that Corporate Records Services is not a government agency. However, the envelope and enclosed material create the appearance that the mailing is an official government communication. The form includes a “respond by” date and suggests the information requested is required by Virginia law. The form is not a document prescribed or recognized by the Commission. The document asks for the names of shareholders, directors and officers, and looks somewhat like the annual report form prepared by the Commission and mailed to each corporation of record in the Clerk’s Office. The Commission’s annual report form includes the names of a corporation’s directors and officers, but the form provided by Corporate Records Service is not a Commission annual report and will not be accepted as an annual report if submitted to the Commission.

 A search of the business entity data base maintained by the Clerk’s Office of the Commission reveals no company of record with the name Corporate Records Service. Any corporation that has questions about the solicitation or form is encouraged to obtain advice from its lawyer or business advisor. Also, the Clerk’s Office can be contacted at (804) 371-9733 or 1-866-722-2551 (toll-free in Virginia) and can provide information about business entity filing requirements under Virginia law.

Contact United Corporate Services at 800-899-8648 if you need assistance with managing your corporate entities and insuring that the documentation you receive is indeed legitimate.  As Registered Agent, United Corporate Services, Inc. supports and assists many corporations large and small with this type of issue.  Ask us if you are unsure before you complete a form or send a payment.