Businesses and nonprofit organizations should watch out for fraudulent letters that claim to be asking for money on behalf of the Washington Office of the Secretary of State.
Since early November, the attorney general’s office has received at least 40 complaints about the letters, which ask businesses for payment and fines “well beyond” what the state requires for business filings. There have also been several reports of telephone scams targeting Latino businesses and threatening jail time if payment isn’t made.
The secretary of state’s office and the attorney general’s office are warning businesses to report any letters they think are fraudulent.
“Washington businesses are a foundational aspect of our state and critical to our economy’s health,” Secretary of State Hobbs said in a statement. “Business owners deserve to feel protected and equipped with information to deny malicious attempts on their franchise.”
The letters look official. They include the Washington state seal and ask that payments be sent to “State of Washington Business Entities.” They are addressed to businesses directly and include their Unified Business Identifier number.
Many of them focused on initial registration, business verification, annual filings and claims of delinquency, according to the secretary of state.
But, the attorney general’s office said, there are some clues the letter is a scam. One letter shared with the department listed a Sacramento address on its letterhead. A QR code on the letter also went to a website ending in .org, as opposed to .gov.
“Scammers can be sophisticated, but don’t be fooled,” Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement. “Be on the lookout for signs of a scam.”
Any business who believes they have received a fraudulent letter should contact the secretary of state’s office directly to inquire about the status of their business filings. They can also verify their status on the secretary of state’s Corporations and Charities Filing System.
Those who think they are a target of a scam should file a complaint with the attorney general’s office.
The secretary of state has resources for businesses to catch misleading notices and solicitations. The agency also has information on what to do if a business receives a notice from their office.
– By Laurel Demkovich, Washington State Standard
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