FRAUD ALERT: Please see the copy below from the Office of the Indiana Secretary of State. We have received similar letters from New York and from Ohio. Some company is flooding the US with bogus letters trying to frighten you into subscribing to a service to keep you compliant with your state\'s filing requirements. Read any pieces of mail you receive very carefully to make certain that it actually comes from the place it is claiming it is from. If you examine the form carefully, in the tiniest of print you will find a disclaimer. If you have any doubts, please feel free to contact our office and we will verify whether or not you actually owe the tax or if you are required to file the form. There are lots of people out there trying to scam you, please be careful.

Alert – Fraudulent compliance requests to Hoosier businesses

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2009

FRAUDULENT COMPLIANCE REQUESTS TO

HOOSIER BUSINESSES

Dear Indiana business:

I am writing to alert you of a continuing scam being perpetrated on Indiana businesses. Several businesses have reported receiving a deceptive letter that would appear to come from an official government source. The letter solicits an annual fee of $125 or $150 and claims it will be used for record keeping and processing of a company\'s annual minutes. It gives the appearance of coming from a legitimate government agency and cites fictitious state law.

Specifically, copies of the letter that have been forwarded to my office appear to come from the \"Indiana Corporate Compliance Business Division.\" They include a return by date to give the false impression that action is necessary on your part.

This letter is NOT an official correspondence from my Business Services Division or any other Indiana state agency. Investigators from my office are working with federal law enforcement to determine who is responsible for these letters and ensure they are stopped. If you received one of these solicitations, ignore it! If you have already responded to such a letters and believe you are a victim of this scam, please call the Business Services Division at (317) 232-6576.

Please also remember you can securely comply with your legitimate business entity reporting requirements to the state securely online through the INBiz portal found on my Web page at www.sos.in.gov/business . As always, my office will provide you with a courtesy reminder when your report is due to be filed. Legitimate notices from my office include the state seal of Indiana and my name.

Best Regards,

Todd Rokita

Indiana Secretary of State

 
This information is provided in an effort to help you gather and organize the information necessary to file your individual or small business income tax return. While these financial tools are not a substitute for financial advice from a qualified professional, they can be used as a starting point in your decision making process.