Submitted by UCS on March 11, 2015

Scam Alert- Louisiana Secretary of State

From the office of the Louisiana Secretary of State:

SECRETARY SCHEDLER WARNS BUSINESSES ABOUT MISLEADING CALLS

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana-Secretary of State Tom Schedler is alerting all business owners of reports of fraudulent phone calls being made concerning the filing of their annual reports, warning them to be cautious. A company named Louisiana Council for Corporations has contacted businesses in the state seeking to file their annual reports for a service fee of $125. However, no annual report is ever filed on the company’s behalf.

“We have seen similar scams in the past using notices sent by mail,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “This time, businesses are being contacted by phone, but the outcome is the same—they lose money and never receive an updated annual report.  My advice is for owners to beware if contacted by phone concerning their annual reports.  My office will only reach out to them if they have initiated a filing and we have follow up questions.  When in doubt, hang up and call my office directly to insure you are not being taken for a ride,” emphasized Schedler.

In past years, Commercial Division customers have also received correspondence from Corporate Records Service, Louisiana Corporate Compliance Business Services and Corporate Compliance Company. These companies are also not affiliated or associated with Louisiana state government in any way. Business owners with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the Department of State’s Commercial Division for more information at 225.925.4704 or commercial@sos.la.gov.

Should you have any questions of concerns regarding this information feel free to speak with a UCS Client Service Representative at 800-899-8648.