04 Jan BEWARE: “Annual Report” Phishing Attempts Up in 2021
With the onset of a new year comes the inevitable Annual Report process in states across the country. Compliance is required to keep your LLC or Corporation in good standing. Each state has their own process. Maine, for example, requires each company registered in Maine to divulge certain information about the company and pay an annual fee in order to keep the company’s registration current.
And with the divulgence of information comes the inevitable SPAM artist. During a pandemic that has kept people at home, and bored enough to actually check their snail mail, phishing attempts are running rampant this year. These for-profit companies intend to deceive you into thinking you are taking one action, but instead are paying them for something you did not order.
Please be on the lookout, they come in all forms: email, mail, phone call, text message.
This year a specifically aggressive entity is called C.F.S. and sends by mail an official looking document with these elements:
These are random solicitations, phishing for people not paying close enough attention.
You should not give money to anyone to file your company’s annual report except for the company’s bonafide Registered Agent or Clerk. If that is you, then read all notices very closely with a skeptical eye – it is likely SPAM.
