Just like the Corporate Compliance Fraud in Ohio, Compliance Services is also targeting companies in Georgia, Florida and Massachusetts.
The Daily Citizen is reporting Georgia corporations warned about solicitations. The Georgia Secretary of State issued a warning:
“Several corporations registered with the Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of State received a letter from Georgia Corporate Compliance, a private company offering to complete corporation meeting minutes on behalf of registered corporations.”
The Attorney General of Florida also issued a warning:
Over the past several months, the Attorney General’s Office has received numerous complaints against several of these companies. Last week the Attorney General settled a lawsuit against one such company, Corporate Compliance Center, over allegations that the company misled Florida businesses relating to the sale of corporate minutes reports. Two other companies, Corporate Minutes Compliance Service and Corporate Minute Services, were prevented from operating in Florida when the Attorney General’s Office threatened litigation.
Bill Galvin, the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued his warning:
Recently, an entity calling itself “Compliance Services” mailed solicitations entitled “Annual Minutes Requirement Statement Directors and Shareholders” to numerous Massachusetts corporations. This solicitation offers to complete corporate meeting minutes on behalf of the corporation for a fee. Despite the implications contained in the solicitation, Massachusetts corporations are not required by law to file corporate minutes with the Secretary of State.
Thanks to Corporate Compliance Insights: Compliance Scam Alert in Georgia: Corporate Minutes Hoax Not Limited to Ohio.
See also:
- Fraud announcement from the Georgia Secretary of State
- Crist: Businesses Should Be Wary of Out-of-State Compliance Notices
- Notice regarding “Compliance Services” Solicitation from the Massachusetts Secretary of State
I, too, paid it last year and found out it was a scam too late. As a matter of fact, just got another one in the mail today for my restructured corporation. Cannot believe they are still operating! All small businesses beware!!!
and the checks are payable to compliance services not the commonwealth of mass
People its clearly a scam. I got mine in the mail today and googled Compliance services and sure enough.
U have to be a little smarter and do you due diligence before sending ur check into the abyss.
I am looking at one right. I almost sent it out but thn i noticed my address on the form have a series of numbers and the word ” Auto” in middle. typically these serial are used by direct mail marketing company. Ithen gogle the company well, the rest is history. I saved $125.00 today.
We have had this corp. for 10 years and had never receiveda minutes
requirement. Thank goodness I looked them up. Something needs to be done with this scam! I am in Florida.
I started filling out the form and then saw the fee of $125 was due and then I went back and read the letter and form more carefully and I said to myself, OH HELL NO!
If you read the form (CS FORM MIN FL-11) carefully, it states in capital letters – THIS PRODUCT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR ENDORSED BY ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY AND THIS OFFER IS NOT BEING MADE BY AN AGENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT.
Perhaps this is a statement that will prevent Compliance Services from being sued.
Unfortunately the corporation records are public and any scam artist can request them. I’m glad I looked up “Compliance Services” and saw all the complaints. Thanks John & Jane Q. Public!
I wish I had been as smart as some of you. I was scamed for 125.00. The states should be sending out a letter warning us as comsumers about this scam. They can send us an email asking us to renew our corp. they can send us an email warning us of this dispicable scam. beware!!!!
I spent the stamp and sent them back a picture of someone flippin’ the bird.
Ha
I am seriously laughing out loud! This is hilarious!! LOVE IT!
I’m looking at one too just got it today. I just did my annual report and paid my fee. I have done this every year since we incorporated and this was the first time I got this letter and noticed that it said did not comply with the annual reporting requirements, read more carefuly and there was a disclosue that it was not approved by any government agency. So I went searching and found this site. Thank goodness I did not get caught in this scam.
I have filed a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General. The response was that their office did reach agreement with Compliance Services for past solicitations and refunds have been made. However, according to the Attorney General, since there is language buried in the solicitation that this is not a government approved or endorsed product and that the product is not a governmental document, and the solicitation refers to the correct Florida Statutes, Compliance Services is doing nothing wrong. So in my opinion, Compliance Services can continue to rip people off with the government’s blessing
Hello,
Sadly I already send the check.
Where can I complain so that I may get my refund?
I just started my company and they rip me off of $125.00!
Please help!!!
I can’t believe that they can get away with this scam. Is the state or government too lazy to do something about it. What services are Compliance Services offering for the $125.00. How can the Attorney General’s office say that it is legal. How come the state of North Carolina was able to stop them.
The fraudulent company is in Tallahassee and still our great Florida government cant do anything to prevent them from STEALING from us. Just another example of how our leaders in Talahassee do not care about us or our businesses. It is no wonder people are leaving the state at record speeds.
Anyway to find out the people behind “compliance services”? Then they could get a few phone calls from the people that they ripped off.
See my post for May 25, 2011. Got his PHONE NUMBER and NAME in it – plus info for MORE if you want it….
The guy is filthy SCUM.
JHM
Thanks for all the information.. my boss got this and thanks to all of your information I am able to save him $125.00 today.
I get these every year in Florida
I fill them out with “President – Richard M Nixon, Tyrone Biggums and all sorts of names – spit in the envelope a few times…. every year.
Scum
Too funny!!
I have been a Legal Assistant for 20 years and in charge of my company’s compliance. The form from this company looked bogus to me so I went on line to check them out and found THOUSANDS of postings from people complaining about this shameless scam. I contacted the BBB, made a formal complaint to the Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Attorney General. EVERYONE needs to file formal complaints … squeeky door! The more that complain the harder it will eventually be for them to conduct business under the radar. Like others have posted, I also have the urge to reply back to them in some clever way to let them know they did not fool me and that I have filed formal complaints against them. These people are bottom feeders. I hope they all end up in jail some day!
It’s a scam, the guy runs it from California and tricks people by getting a UPS Store mailing address located in the State he’s scamming people in this month. Once he’s done, he moves on to another State and another Mailbox’s Etc. address. All of the mail is forwarded to him in California. No it’s not legal and yes he has been caught at it more than once. The idiot in question is Selwyn Monarch and his number is 1-818-654-5334.
I ‘ain’t skeered’ of this idiot. I called his a$$ personally.
Want to know more? Look up the NC Sec. of State website and look in the lower center of the main page for the Compliance TRO Order link – it’s 79 pages of everything you ever wanted to know about a useless piece of $#!t like this, but couldn’t care less about…
Nice copies of the junk forms he sent to NC State businesses. Also had his personal info and home address for all to see also.
Scum.
JHM
Send them a check drawn on a closed account.
Rec’ed this form today. Googled and found out it’s a scam. Planning on sending the fee in Monopoly money in a couple of days.