Here it is—Labor Day! Time to put away the bathing suits and get back into our business suits. As always, rule #1 when it comes to identity theft best practices is always be wary and mindful of scams.
One that never seems to go away and has the goal of scaring small-business owners and corporations into “so called compliance” is solicitations for preparing so-called required corporate records. The fee can be $125 or more for preparing the documents. A return envelope is often included. The paperwork looks legitimate and looks like it could be from a state government office.
It is nothing but garbage—our favorite advice is “shred it!”.
There have been reports of church leaders and sorority sisters getting similar forms, too. So if you received something in the mail because of some corporate affiliation, read it very, very carefully before sending any money. And definitely check with your accountant to double check legitimacy.
Regulators say solicitations are hitting small-business owners in several states.
The target is a small-business owner who is busy juggling many duties and may be tricked into thinking that some state government agency is requiring yet another form and another fee.
The so-called compliance solicitation can include a form called “2013 — Annual Corporate Records Form.” Accountants say the letter attempts to confuse unsuspecting business owners by using “official-looking documents.”
It’s misleading. Don’t fall for it. Again, our favorite advice is “Shred It!”
For more information on best practices regarding identity theft prevention and government compliance issues, please visit www.hvshred.com