Mail scam targeting Arizona businesses

Arizona State Attorney General Mark Brnovich is warning local businesses to be on the lookout for fraudulent mailings prompting owners to send money. The mailings are designed to resemble legitimate government documents issued by the Arizona Corporation Commission, and insist that the businesses being targeted pay the commission for "annual minutes" or "annual corporate minutes."

"Many consumers have been tricked into thinking they are filling out a mandatory form and returning it to a government agency," writes Brnovich in his "Scam Alert" statement. "The forms are particularly misleading because corporations are required to file an Annual Report with the Arizona Corporation Commission and pay a fee.  However, annual reports for Arizona corporations are filed electronically with the Arizona Corporation Commission. The Commission does not mail a reminder that an annual report is due."

The scam is primarily targeting "mom and pop" shops and ultimately only requests an amount between $125 to $150. More troubling is that many of the scam forms request personal and business information, which could potentially be used to impersonate a business owner and open up fraudulent accounts. 

Businesses are warned that the scam forms use specific language, often including the words "notice" or "statement." Those who suspect they may have received a mailing are urged to contact the Attorney General's Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6504 or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1(800) 352-8431. Consumers can also file complaints online by visiting the Attorney General's website.

With fraud on the rise, it pays to have strong legal counsel that understands the issues businesses face. The Arizona business lawyers at The Law Offices of Donald W. Hudspeth, P.C., are here to help. 

Categorised in: Arizona LLCs, Asset & Liability Protection, Business Law, C-Corporations & S-Corporations, Starting a Business in Arizona

This post was written by