Indiana Business Fraud Alert !

Posted on | June 4, 2009 | 2 Comments

Introduction by Matthew A. Griffith, Esq.

Here is an email-letter I just received from the Indiana Secretary of State.  Those of you who are clients of my law firm will remember that I alerted you to this fraud scheme almost two years ago in my law firm’s newsletter.  Amazingly, the fraud is still happening.

From Todd Rokita, Indiana Secretary of State

Dear Indiana Business:

I feel it is important to follow up with you on the actions taken by my office to address the deceptive letters many Hoosier businesses have received over the past several months. The letters come from “Indiana Corporate Compliance Business Division.” They attempt to secure a $125 or $150 payment in exchange for processing a company’s annual minutes. As we previously communicated to you, despite the fact these letters are made to appear as though they come from an official government source, they are a hoax and should be ignored.

In a multi-state investigation, my office tracked down the individuals behind these letters. Aaron V. Williams of Las Vegas and a Lisa Diane Brown of California are affiliated with several businesses including “Indiana Corporate Compliance.” The results of the investigation were shared with Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, who recently filed a complaint against Williams, Brown and their businesses.

If the state prevails, these individuals could receive fines of over $1.5 million and be barred from doing business in Indiana. I will also continue to work with law enforcement agencies to pursue possible criminal action against these individuals.

If you have not done so already, please get in touch with our Business Services Division at (317) 232-6576 if you believe you are a victim of this scam.

Corporate images now available online for free

I am also pleased to let you know you can now access your corporate documents, business filings and any additional registrations on file with our Business Services Division instantly and free of charge through the INBiz portal found on our Web site: www.sos.in.gov/business . You will also be able to find more than 6.5 million images of business filings that date back to the 1800s for other active businesses.

Government should always use technology to drive down costs and increase access for taxpayers. I am proud of my staff’s work and the culture we have created here at the office of the Secretary of State to meet, and often exceed, the efficiency standards that are in place in the private sector.

Sincerely,

Todd Rokita

Indiana Secretary of State