I’m starting to see a rash of mail come through my office from a company called Business Filings Division. My California clients look to be targeted right now, although I’m sure other states will be soon. If you’ve received one, don’t be fooled. It’s not real and you don’t have to do anything.
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August 19th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I am in California, and just received one for one of my clients. I thought it looked suspicious (have learned to watch these kinds of things carefully), but appreciate that you have posted something on this blog that confirms what I already suspected.
Thanks for the help!
August 19th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I was also scammed–I was actually expecting something back from the Secretary of State about my new business, so I thought this was their way of replying. I had written them a check and made a copy of the form when I decided to look around on the web before actually dropping it in the mail. Another thank you for your help.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I just got one and thought it was bad becouse there is no contact info on it.
August 19th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I received same form with an urgent request for $239.00 I too wrote a check, but notice the envelope stated ” This is not a government document” and it was sent bulk mail… In the meantime, I will call the State office and verify as well. Thank you for making everyone aware of a possible scam.
August 20th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Just recieved one as well…it says clearly on the bottom of the letter that “this product has not been approved by any govt agency and that this IS a solicitation”
This message is in CAPs…kinda hard to overlook…Its just another scam
August 21st, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Fraud! Thanks for this web site that confirms it. Yes, a competed annual form for LLC’s in California are required, but it’s a current information about your company needing a $20 check payable to the Sec of State!!
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:43 am
I recieved a request from Business Filings Division today. Looks like a government document however the amount is not consistant with filing or annual fee’s. Letter clearly states it is not a government document. I am reguarding this as a fraud. Thank you “US Tax Aid Services” for posting this ad.
August 23rd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I had just filled it out and was starting to print a check when I finally became suspicious of the name, “Business Filings Division.” The disclaimer is hidden in a bunch of copy surrounded by words like “SUSPENDED.”
The $211 they wanted seemed legit at first considering CA is in a budget mess and I just figured the normal $25 had been raised. I am so pissed right now. I was this ” close to be taken.
Please encourage your clients to report this scam to the state.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:24 am
I received this same letter last week- stating that “Failure to file the Statement of Information by the DUE DATE will result in the assessment of a $250.00 penalty which will be assessed by the California Franchise Tax Board…” “Avoid Penalties, Fines, and Suspension Remit Immediately”
As others have also indicated, my letter also calls for a payment of $239.
Thanks for confirming my suspicion about this fraud.
August 24th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
We’ve just received one too. I don’t understand how can a scam like this do business so openly??? I’ve read a few blogs on other sites too, where they have different address in LA. This one is: Business Filings Division 980 Ninth St. 16th FL, Sacramento Ca 95814-2736
August 24th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I received a statement from the “Business Filings Division”, sent it over to my accountant because it seemed fishy, where she then verified it to be scam. It’s not difficult to imagine how a person could be fooled by this. Thanks for the posting!
August 24th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
We got our’s today also - and our main office is located in Washington State!
I wonder how these people sleep at night…
August 24th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
We just received this letter and received one last year. Total fraud!!! Good thing there is info posted online about this company.
August 25th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I just came back to the office after two weeks of vacation away, found a stack forms on my desk, almost had heartattack because the due date is so close…..
I am so glad I googled up and found this site. Thanks for everyone’s comments.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I came close to sending it today but started looking at the fine print. What a great way to exist. I’m sure a tree or something will fall on them soon.
August 25th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
How can this go on. THANKS FOR THIS SITE! - I had already wasted time filling out the form - almost wrote the check… thanks google, and this site. Can’t someone please put people like this in jail?
August 25th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I just got the form today, on the front it stated not a government form, but they want it to look official. They do have written on the form right after “Make check payable to” this product or service has not been approved or endorsed by any government agency” More scams for the money!
August 25th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Thank you for confirming my suspicions.
August 25th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
My version did not have the “This is not a government document” disclaimer.
The tip-offs were that: 1) The seal in the upper left is not the State of Calif seal; 2) Nowhere does it say that it is a California state document.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:15 am
We just received one as well. This is similar to a scam another company tried a few months back (it could be the same company, I’m not sure) where they tried to make you pay a fee for them to file your corporate meeting minutes. You can file them for free on the state website, and filing them isn’t even required, but they tried to make it look like an official government document stating we had to pay ASAP or there would be big penalties. They had the same small print at the bottom saying it wasn’t a government document, it was a solicitation etc. Legally the fine print must protect them, but morally and ethically it is still very wrong.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:22 am
I am a private investigator and I received one of these several years ago when I first started my business. These companies obtain public information in bulk and usually target new business owners who are not aware of what the fees and procedures for maintaining a corporation or an S corp, llc etc. and they scam people into paying 10 times what they would have to if they just took care of their own business and informed themselves. I have to admit that the first time I received one of these mailings It looked official enough to take it seriously. Now I just toss them and don’t give them much thought. I did want to see what was being said about this Business Filings Division mailing though because I am used to receiving a different scam mailing. Same old shit, new name I guess.
Steve
August 26th, 2009 at 9:25 am
There is nothing illegal about what these people are doing. They are obtaining public information and are offering a service to people who don’t know any better. I am wondering how many people actually send the check?
August 26th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
These people are crooks. Legal or not, this is fraud.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:05 am
Add me to the list of thankful near-victims. Something about it didn’t feel right to me, but I had written the check, and stamped the envelope…decided to do a Google search just before mailing. You saved me! Have to give them credit for their ingenuity…but not their ethics. Wonder if there is any way to find out how many fall for it?
August 27th, 2009 at 7:02 am
I GOT ONE TOO,, I WAS WONDERING ABOUT IT AND I CHECKED ON LINE.. I AM GLAD I CHECKED,, WHY NO ONE DOES ANYTHING ABOUT THIS KIND OF SCAMMERS?
August 27th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I called the Secretary of States Office. They said this company is being investigated and that you can contact the CA Attorney General’s office at
800-952-5225 if you would like to file a complaint.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I received this same notice reflecting the return address as 980 Ninth St. 16 Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. I was quite upset when I first received this notice because I thought the State of CA was trying to rip me off (small businesses)on top of the annual $800 that is already required for the LLC. However, after reviewing this notice, again, I am happy to say that I did not pay this fake invoice and searched the internet to see if this company was ligitimate.It is a fake!!!
August 30th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I am in the same situation.. Already made the check, and almost rush to mail it because mine is already past due…and I was complaining to my partner that why there are so many issues towards small business owner, why they put the $239.00 in such small font.. I didn’t see it until today….Thank goodness, I decided to do a google search before mailing it..Thanks for the posting here…
August 31st, 2009 at 10:06 am
We just received the letter and it almost got me. I’m usually pretty careful about this kind of thing, but it really sounded official.
September 1st, 2009 at 6:31 am
Thank you very much for the blog. However, after carefully reviewing this notice, again, I am happy to say that I did not pay this fake invoice and searching the internet to see that this company is NOT legit.
September 1st, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Almost send it !!! But reading it word by word helped. I have two of them. Thank you.
September 1st, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Thank you for highlighting this. It nearly fooled me. The letter like others has come from Business Fillings Division Statement of Information asking for $239.00. I googled it and found your posting that really helped. By the way I also googled the return address “Business Fillings Division, LLC Unit, 980 Ninth st, 16th FL, Sacramento, CA 95814-2736″ which is neither a government office nor a valid address! Can anyone suggest how to nail these charlatans!
September 1st, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I realize that everyone is trying to “make a buck” but this is so very deceptive. I am glad to hear they are being investigated, but I am still going to send a letter to the Secretary of State to aid in their investigation - these people must be put out of business ASAP!
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
thank you guys for maintaining this thread. I am just about to post a check and felt suspicious of this paper I got. These idiots printed this on a A4 paper which I felt something strange. Not even a single word mentioned as “Government”. No govt. department name is mentioned in here. They say they are an LLC, and why the heck another LLC is asking for money from me? There is phone number mentioned 916-903-5355 and it is going to voicemail.
At first, how come these assholes got the business registration information? I saved $239.00 today !! Thank God !!
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I am appalled by the marketing tactics used by the Business Filings Division. They disguise themselves as a government entity charging $239.00 to file a California Statement of Information renewal. To put this into perspective our company AAA Corporate Filing Services http://www.aaafiling.com does this for LLCs in California for $45.00 and $50.00 for a corporation…. Do not be fooled by letters of this sort!
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:34 am
I got the same message and called in to question the reason why we received this form. I know just a month ago I sent the real one into the state. Why were they asking me for the same information and charging me more money. I know the State needs $$$! Thanks to this post I can rest easy, knowing it’s a scam.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I was a bit suspicious when I got it becuase it says “this is not a goveernment document” on the envelope. Also, when you write a check to the CA goverment, normally you make it payble to “Secretary of State” rather then a specific division. Glad I googled it. Thank you all for the comments.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:55 pm
This letter content look so legitimate anyone could get fooled. Thank you and all others who posted their comments on this blog. It is a real hoax letter asking $239, to file just a single page ‘Statements of Information’ with $20 fees with California Secretary of State.
September 4th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Thanks for the posting. I got this letter too, but will not respond after reading this posting.
I think this kind of scam should not be allowed and should be stopped. I’m going to file a complaint to the BBB Sacramento. I encourage everyone to file complaint against this ‘Business Filing Division’ too.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:11 am
We got one too but the “enclose check or money order payable to BFD” tipped me off and I checked online. The Central CA BBB had a fraud warning. I just wrote to snopes.com to make sure they list it too. I was JUST getting ready to pay the damn thing, too! They ALMOST got us.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:27 am
What a JOKE! I totally wrote my cheque and ALMOST threw it in the mail but wanted to call the company first with some questions. No contact info on form raised some concerns, but your site CONFIRMS it! You should print this out and give it to the CA Attorney General’s office at
800-952-5225…they could use this as a petition to file against the company.
VERY interesting and annoying that people can get away with this stuff! Thanks so much for taking the time to write about it for the rest of us
September 9th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
The devil is in the fine print on all of these mailings. Don’t fall for it. I just rec’d a second letter from the Annual Filing Division. Official looking seal and document, but they are not associated with Business Filing Division (BFD). It appears to be a copy cat as the forms are almost identical.
I called the BFD and i was able to actually speak with a person much to my surprise. AFter suggesting BFD meant something else, the employee told me that I could use them or not. Asked what they are a division of, and he said, “nothing.” I was warned by Legal Zoom to watch out for these scams.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:28 am
I was suspicious from the start and was going to toss it immediately. Thanks for comfirming my suspicion. I can’t believe people can get away with this stuff. I can only imagine the thousands of people that they confuse and trick - LLCs are a dime a dozen.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
What is the legal status of Business Filings Division California?
Is the State Attorney General, Jerry Brown, investigating this? 800-952-5225 http://www.ag.ca.gov
Due Date: September 15, 2009 (Remit Immediately)
What’s the consequence if I don’t?
September 11th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I got one too. Looked pretty official with a seal in the upper right corner like the state does, laid out similar to the state form, and looks like you need to take action until you read it thoroughly. This is such a scam. I wonder how many people fell for it and sent there money in. I’m not one for litigation but those that got ripped off ought to report it to the proper authorities and possibly do a class action suit on these scammers.
September 11th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I received a similar notice asking for 195.00. I filled the form out and wrote a check, but I too looked for contact info and noticed the address in Sacramento CA. Looked official, but if you read the last paragraph on the “Annual Filing Division” form it indicates that you do not need to send any money unless you accept the offer. I then put my form and check through the shredder…. Hope people read carefully as I received two official documents form the State of California “Secretary of State limited liab company ($20.00 fee)and Corp ($25.00 fee) forms for both of my businesses both forms have the offical logo with PO box for the Secretary of state and the CA.GOV website listed as well. I am glad that I received all three at once and googled “annual filing division, becuase I found this site and I could have been out $195.00 if I would have sent my check to the “annual filing division” Good Luck!
September 14th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Unfortunately, I did mail my check and it was cashed - silly me. What should I do to get my money back?
September 14th, 2009 at 7:55 am
Thank you for all the comments!
I know that there have been a number of complaints made through the Better Business Bureau. My suggestion is to also contact the Attorney General’s office.
Some of the notices have been sent that do not have the “not a governmental agency” warning. Sounds like those can especially be troublesome!
I hope you come visit our forum at http://www.USTaxAid.com to post your tax, accounting and business structure questions.
September 14th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Where’s the record department, please?
—————————————
signature: topamax
September 16th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I am a new business owner in California and I continually receive letters from the Business Filings Division. Towards the bottom of each letter, it states in capital letters, “THIS PRODUCT OR SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR ENDORSED BY ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY, AND THIS OFFER IS NOT BEING MADE BY AN AGENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT.” Throughout the letter, they would like me to pay them $235 to submit my Statement of Information to the state even though, through the state itself, it only costs $25.
Is there a way to be removed from their mailing list?
September 16th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Josh, I feel your pain.
To my knowledge, there is no way to stop the mail spam. Would love to find out if anyone knows how to do that, though?
September 20th, 2009 at 8:10 am
I also received this letter from “Business Filings Division” requesting $235 immediately to avoid fines and suspension of my business. It’s a good thing I remembered filing the Statement of Information already on the Secretary of State’s website for $25! Thank you for your blogs. This company needs to be stopped. Report them to the California Attorney Generals office (800) 952-5225.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:12 am
September 21, 2009
Same here, I received this letter from Business Filings Division requesting $235.00 immediately by September 30, 2009 to avoid penalties, fines and suspension. The letter even quoted California Corporation code section 1502, or Food and Agriculture Code Section 54040. Warned that if the fee is not paid by the due date, an assessment of $250.00 penalty. I agree that this company needs to be investigated.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:53 am
I received this same letter from the “Business Filings Division” requesting $235 with an address contact of 980 Ninth Street in Sacramento. I submitted my Corp. Dissolution last month and was expecting documents confirming the dissolution. When I saw this I almost thought it was a required follow up, luckily I googled the address. I agree with some of the others posters, this may not be fraud but it is certainly purposely misleading to consumers and business owners alike! I filed a complaint with the California Attorney General online at : http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL Maybe if we all do this they will shut these people down!
September 21st, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I got the same letter. Business Filing Division’s phone number is:
916-903-5355
Press 1 for Corp, press 2 for LLC
Select 1 for the option for more help on filing.
Then, press 0 to speak with someone.
Ask for Michael, and have your name/company removed from their mailing list.
-Brian
September 21st, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I just received the same in the mail today. What a scam!
September 21st, 2009 at 5:37 pm
This is nothing more than some “Company” trying to fool you into signing the document, which effectively makes them your agent. I incorperated through “Legal Zoom” and had a similar mix up. They ask you on the intake if you want them to act as your agent. For this service there is a fee added to the legit filing fee Which I think is $180.00.
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:56 am
I also received a letter and i unfortunate sent them a check before reading this site. Does this company actually do the filing and just charge a lot for doing it or do they just take the money and run? I’m worried about the personal information i filled out on their form getting into the wrong hands.
September 22nd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I am glad I found this site. I recently registered a company and received 3 forms! I too filled out the forms and was about to write the checks when I caught the “This is not a government agency…..” disclaimer. I am glad I caught it as I would have been out $535!! That would have really pissed me off!
I am listing them here to make you aware of the various crooks that are out there. They are as follows:
1. Business Filings Division, Corporation Unit, 980 Ninth St., 16th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814 (Invoice Amt - $235)
2. Board of Business Center, P.O. Box 39876, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (Invoice Amt - $125)
3. Officer of the Compliance Recorder, P.O. Box 91240, Los Angeles, CA 90009 (Invoice Amt - $175)
Good luck and stay safe.
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:50 am
Thank goodness I stumbled upon this website when searching for the business filing divisions mailing address! We we about to send payment plus the late fee penalty when we realized we could not locate the address. Thanks everyone!
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:47 am
Is “Acorn” up to more tricks?
September 24th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Thanks for the heads-up… I was about to write out a check for $235.
Can this not be stopped? Fell for one of these scams 3 years ago, wrote a check for $150 for some filing of meeting minutes.
September 24th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Several of our California clients have also received these and thankfully let us review before sending in the check. I contacted Business Filings Division at 916-903-5355, was able to get through to a representative, asked them to remove our client’s company names from their mailing list immediately and let them know we were filing a complaint with the Attorney General’s office.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Just Googled and found your comments! This is a clever scam…were it not for the disclosures at the bottom of the document I may have sent $195.00
I live in Coronado, CA
My Scammer is: Annual Filing Division
1215 K St. 17th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Question Everything !
September 24th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Yep, they got me last year… being from out of state and knowing it’s a rip off to do business here, I mailed them a check. Got another one today but remembered looking them up after I realized SCAM! I wonder how many poor folks fall for this crap..
September 24th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
lucky i found this site before i send my check….
September 25th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Hey Patti….I fell for it too, except the one from Annual Filing Division instead of Business Filings Division.
Just sent them a check last week. Received a third letter from some other company trying to do the same thing, and that’s when I realized this might all be some scam to get my money, so googled it and yup, i was taken.
My check was cashed 3 days ago, so I contacted the number on the form to this division. The told me I might be able to request a refund, but it needs to be written. So wrote the letter this morning requesting a refund.
Also contacted the Secretary of State beforehand to make sure the Statement of Information was not filed by them, which it wasn’t.
Hopefully the refund goes though. Yeah, I would consider this some shady business practice…I mean, it’s still business so it’s understandable they would try and do anything to get you to pay them, but still….sucks for the rest of us, not to mention the constant flow of spam mail in my mailbox now. =/
September 25th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I just received this letter. This is a fraud. I’m going to call Sacramento.
September 27th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
i also received a notice in the mail from Business Filings Division. I sent a copy to my attorney and he said that this is a SCAM.
Does anyone know where i can call and complain?
September 28th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Dear All,
I just received such a letter and was shocked at the amount, the short amount of time to respond (if I did pay it ($235), the check would be late), the pressure and threats of additional fees ($250) if I did not pay this, etc. … Since I would have to be late in payment, I searched for contact information to explain I just received this letter and would be paying late and contacted my CPA who usually takes care of this transaction. Since I could not reach her, I decided to Google the PFD to find direct contact information, but found this weblink instead; and thanks to all of you, now know this is a SCAM. Thanks much. I just called the Business Filings Division at 916-903-5355 and the number is no longer in service. I agree with filing a complaint with the Attorney General’s office. Please feel free to use my contact information (email address given). I will be glad to help.
September 28th, 2009 at 9:33 am
The scam from Business Filings Division (BFD) is here again , folks. Be wary. I almost fell for it until I studied the letter.
I sent the letter and a complaint to the Calif Attorney Gens Office.
Everyone should do the same. I wish we could bring these crooks to justice!!
Tony
September 28th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
My husband was taken by the one from Annual Filing Division and mailed the check last week, which was already cashed. He sent checks to Business Filing Division and Department of Business Minutes today. I saw the names in the checkbook and immediately put a stop payment on the checks. These people are ruthless!
Does anyone have the phone number for Annual Filing Division? My husband didn’t keep a copy of the form, and we are desperate to try and get our money back (or at least give them hell on the phone). Thanks!
- Heather
September 29th, 2009 at 4:43 am
Heather, I just received my Annual Filing Division request for cash….the phone number on the form is 916-779-4147 and is being answered by an answering machine. Good luck getting your $ back! A way to check for scams is to look at the envelope, they state that THIS IS NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT right on it.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:07 am
I also received a notice in the mail from Business Filings Division. researched on google, its a scam!
http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL
I filed a complaint with the CA Dept of Justice using the above link.
September 29th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I’ve become very aware of these various scams. However, and new twist on it is that the CORRECT STATE CORPORATE NUMBER has been on the last two received by one of our clients. Before, it’s been an random number. The client had sent a check to one of them, but got a stop-payment on it before it cleared, we hope.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I received this letter today, and my initial reaction was to believe it. However the formatting seemed suspicious so I did a search on the internet. And I found this site.
I scanned in the letter I received and uploaded it for others to look at. I took the liberty of marking it up a bit.
I can’t stand stuff like this. I think the internet is a good resource for exposing these things.
Here are my scans
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10055127@N00/sets/72157622359363437/
September 29th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I received the very official-looking letter today, too and forwarded a scan of it to my accountant who confirmed it’s a scam. So I filed an online complaint form at the Attorney General’s website. These people are deceptive and predatory and target new business owners who are unfamiliar with business fees and taxes. Always question everything, always run it past your accountant before writing any checks to anyone!
September 30th, 2009 at 10:22 am
I am thinking of writing them a cancelled check I have, these greedy pigs will probably try to cash it anyway. The scammer now has become the scammed.
September 30th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I just got the letter today too, I was thinking, great another fee. But then I looked closely and noticed that it wasn’t a CA State Seal. So I ran a quick search, and I landed on this great string of comments. Thanks everyone for commenting saying you got it and it’s a scam!
September 30th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
THANK GOD I CHECK THIS OUT….YES I RECIEVED ONE OF THESE LETTERS AND I WAS TRIPPING OUT THAT THEY WANTED YOU TO PAY..AND THERE WAS NO INFORMATION ON PHONE NUMBER OR WEBSITE…YES THIS THING IS A FRAUD…DAM THE WANTED ME TO PAY $235 DAM THIEFS!!1
September 30th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Thanks you guys, we are almost send it too.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:47 am
This makes me very angry. I also called the number on the bottom of the form…and followed these instructions posted earlier :
Business Filing Division’s phone number is:
916-903-5355
Press 1 for Corp, press 2 for LLC
Select 1 for the option for more help on filing.
Then, press 0 to speak with someone.
Ask for Michael, and have your name/company removed from their mailing list.
But all I never reached michael… said to leave a message and they will get back to you. So I requested my BUsiness name be removed from their list. Perhaps if a lot of us do that and chew them out…They will shut down. Maybe report them to the Better Business Bureau. Does anyone know how to do that?
October 1st, 2009 at 8:58 am
TO FILL A COMPLAINT with the CA Dept of Justice USE this link:
http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL
It only takes a few minutes. Maybe it will shut them down!
October 1st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
This company is disgusting and a disgrace to society. I have followed Brian’s link to file a complaint. I hope everyone does the same. Thank you Brian.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I got my notice yesterday here in Washington State and today I filed my complaint with the CA Office of the Attorney General. I sure hope they do something about this company.
October 1st, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Received one of these today also; have received others in the past. Someone earlier said that this was legal - I don’t see how because I don’t think they do anything except take your money. This has been going on for years and they just keep moving and reinventing themselves. Report them to the California Attorney General and/or also to the post office as mail fraud.
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:59 am
Just received one as well although our HQ is Kansas City. Seemed very odd, especially with the buried language, so I googled the “Business Filings Division” to get contact information and got this site. Thanks for the heads up. I will be submiting their name to the link posted by Brian.
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:30 am
When I first received the Statement of Information the other day, I thought I must have messed up when I filed my LLC and forgot to pay a fee. I asked my business manager if I owed it and he said he would look into it. He then told me it was bogus and I should trash it. I almost paid it thinking I must have made a mistake and owed it to them for some reason. I hope everyone checks this site before writing out that check. What a scam, they should be stopped. I’m going to file a complaint. You can file with the Better Business Bureau online or with the Attorney General’s office online.
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:36 am
Where is FBI??
Every year I have been getting this mail and every year I call the SS to be told it’s fraud. How can we allow this to happen every year???
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Just got the letter yesterday and I thought it was legit because like a couple people have already mentioned, it does have the right CA # which is interesting. Glad I haven’t written the check yet though and you can’t get through with the number above. It goes to an answering machine saying they’ll have a representative call you back. Anyone think I’d be immature to mail the letter back with a big FU in all across it?
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I just got my letter. How do they get away with it? And you have to wonder about the bank doing business with them.
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Who are these people at 980 Ninth Street, 16th Floor, Sacramento CA 916.903.5355 - they should be tarred & feathered and dumped in the Sacramento Harbor.
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:16 pm
File a complaint here:
http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=PL
October 5th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I burst out laughing when I got this mailing. These people actually think someone is going to respond to this type of form. ‘Business Filings Division’ of what?!?!? Geez these guys are stupid scum.
October 5th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
On October 5, 2009 I received in the mail a form from Business Filings Division.
Obviously it is a fraud. Feral Cat Foundation pays a filing fee yearly to
the State of California. This illegal organization should be legally limited.
Estelle Breitmayer, President, Feral Cat Foundation.
October 5th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I filled out my form and didn’t notice where it was asking for payment. Then as I was stuffing it into the envelope, I noticed it said, “Make Checks Payble to BFD.” So I looked it over and saw that it was asking for $239, and then I saw the total B.S. looking logo. Almost. Jerks!
October 6th, 2009 at 9:24 am
I almost put the check in the envelope when I read the fine print on the back about them “hand delivering” my documents to the Tax Board…….no one does that in the government!!!! Be careful!! I almost gave away my hard earned money-Doy!
October 6th, 2009 at 9:48 am
My business partner received one last week and she was freaking out over the amount but I remember this is paid biennially which is stated and its only been a year! So that gave it up 1. and then there is no phone number listed! I was going to call and complain because I paid the state last year!! wow what a rip-off I feel bad for the older people out there the mom and pop shops that often-times are so afraid of penalties they just pay everything that comes in the mail. Good site and info guys thanx!!
October 6th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I have received two nbotices. As the compliance officer this was a big red flag.
I googled them and found this! Thank goodness, I was ready to call our bonding agency and see why I was getting them and not the correct source!
THANK YOU!
October 6th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I rec’d one of these bogus ltrs. Thanks for the heads up. Pure mail fraud it appears to me.
October 6th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I just got the “Business Filings Division” letter. No government seal or telephone #’s clued me into this right away, along with $235 request filing fee and then $250 late assessment fee. What a crock!!! If the person(s) are reading this,why don’t you go and get an honest job. What is our State government doing to apprehend these jerks!!!.
October 6th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I just wanted to tell all of you… that I filled my form out…. just for for a laugh… with erroneous info on it. And I signed it R. Sole. Not my real name of course… Then I mailed it back to them…..
October 7th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Thank you for posting! When I googled the infromation, this was the first result and you saved us lots of time and energy tryng to figure out what/why they wanted money from us. Thank you, again!
Amanda
October 7th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
You saved us lots of time, energy and $$$!
Thank you for posting this site!
We just received a letter in the mail and we were about to call them but no # was listed!
Thank you so much for posting this site!
Face Studios Inc.
October 7th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
You confirmed me that it was a fraud!
Thank you for posting.
Amazing that the federal don’t step right away to their office.
October 7th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
We got wise to this scam a few years ago. I will be filing a complaint as well. It really tees me off that so much valuable time is wasted by all of us trying to figure out whether an offical looking document is a scam or not. It’s hard enough to wade through legitimate California and Federal filing requirements.
Thanks for this forum.
October 7th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
stupid of me sent the form and the check back in September, they cash the check right away i just notice today it was scam, thanks to this website i wont sent the other ones for other business, and i did my complaint too.
thanks again.
October 7th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Just got off the phone with these clowns. The gal there was bumbling and finally hung up on me when I called them out. Maybe it’s not illegal however, this is a very shady tactic. They are clearly posing as a government agency. The acronym pretty much sums up their business practices: “BFD”.
October 7th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
BTW, they will probably be doing loan modifications after they get shut down…
October 7th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
I just received one for our homeowners association. Since I have no experience running a homeowners association, I almost panic because of the due date and possible penalties. Good thing I Googled and found this so now I don’t have to worry. I had initially had a bad feeling because there was no contact number on the form.
October 7th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
I have received the same mail from BUSINESS FILINGS DIVISION third time, and it seems these crooks got all the corporation info. and trying to forge some amount on the name of State Govt. I am wondering why State corporate division in not taking any action against them and they keep on doing these forgery……….
Thanks for providing the info.on web and help out the people.
October 7th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Bless the internet! I just received one, $235 in 8 days, … I had to read it twice and search to trust my sense of scam. Tipoff was the ‘not a government agency’ sentence woven into the legal citation. And that we’ve never been asked for this kind of fee. I wondered, since California is so hard up for income, if I’d missed some legislative change. And now that I’m typing, another tipoff would be the immediate deadline.
Thanks for providing a complaint link; I completed that too.
I’d be really interested in learning how much they are making. I’m not sure of the illegality, since they will, I’m sure, file updated information on corporate principals. I wonder if they have a public income tax return!
October 7th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
As Brian said:
“TO FILL A COMPLAINT with the CA Dept of Justice USE this link:
http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL
It only takes a few minutes. Maybe it will shut them down!”
I just filed my complaint and it was quick and easy…
October 7th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
I just received one also, and sent a check yesterday($239), then received another one today from Annual Filing Division($195). The previous one was from Business Filing Division. They fooled me, but after another one I got this site and run to my bank to stop a payment. I called them also, and after talking to them realized that it’s total scam. Thanks to this site, I did not lose my money.
Should we call BBB?
October 7th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Thank you for the information!!My Boss just received one in the mail again and she told me that she has been paying them for the last two years. I read the letter and it seemed very suspicious to me. I went online and I read your NOTE. Thank you very much. We will definitely take further action against this company. We need to stop people like that as soon as possible….
October 8th, 2009 at 7:30 am
I work as a contractor for a couple of companies and this is the second time I have received this request. I just received one for each company, back to back,and I have decided that I will “Return to Sender” and let them pay for the postage again. I also called their office and all I got was recording after recording and then “leave a message and we will call you back”
October 8th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Just how unethical can some people be? I urge that others that have received this mailing contact the District Attorney - Sacramento @ 916-874 6218 (prompt -0-)and you will be able to leave a v/mail for one of their investigators to get back to you. The more complaints lodged the better.
Also contact the Better Business Bureau(W. Sacramento) @ 916-443 6843.
October 8th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I almost sent check to them.
Thanks very much for providing the info.on web and help out the people.
Is Secretary of State or State corporate division taking any action against these people? Are they prosecuted? Is the use of US Post mail or use of Federal organizations name not Federal Crime???
October 8th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Just got this notice myself this week. I manage the HOA for our building, and I sat down this evening to take care of this thinking it was one of the required state business filings. When I found the fee of $235 indicated, I got suspicious and started reading the form carefully. The first thing that tipped me off was the lack of an official form number, which every government form seems to have, so then I Googled this and found this board. Thanks to everyone who posted here.
I am concerned, however, that this company/fraud still seems to be going strong. This apparently started over three months ago, and the links and phone numbers to log complaints are listed last month. I filed a complaint myself with the State Attorney. Hopefully these guys get shut down.
October 9th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Read article “State accuses 8 in L.A. area of scams targeting small firms” [L.A. Times --Business Section dd Oct 09,'09]. California attorney general’s office appears to have taken action to nail these guys!
October 9th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I also received a late notice from Business Filings Division. I did file very late to the Secretary of State, and probably made the deadline by a day for my LLC. Five days later, I received a notice warning me of a Penalty, and asked me to send $239.00. A few clues got my suspicion up: One line at the end of the letter stating, “THIS PRODUCT OR SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR ENDORSED BY ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY, AND THIS OFFER IS NOT BEING MADE BY AN AGENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT.”; the fact that there is zero contact information on the letter itself; and the fact that the “government” responded within 5 days of my deadline. Also, the letter is formatted and designed to deceive unsuspecting business owners by making it appear like a legal document being sent from Sacramento, California. The Government needs to put these guys out of business!
October 9th, 2009 at 10:17 am
From the LA Times article dated 10/09/09:
“One suit named as defendants George Alan Miller and Rebecca Miller of Valencia, and Arghisti Keshishyan and Kristina Keshishyan of Glendale. They allegedly ran Burbank companies Annual Review Board Inc., Business Filings Division and Corpfilers.com, which also were named as defendants.
In another suit, the defendants were Maria Jones and James Jones of Porter Ranch and their companies, Corporate Filings Division in Studio City and Corporate Compliance Filings Inc. in Woodland Hills.
The third suit names as defendants Anthony Williams and Helena Martell-Williams, who operated Eneque Inc., which has done business under the name Compliance Annual Minutes Board in Temecula.”
October 9th, 2009 at 10:18 am
They are also targeting Nevada LLCs
October 9th, 2009 at 10:20 am
The California SOS website has a whole page dedicated to this fraud:
If you have received a solicitation letter that seems misleading or confusing, please contact the California Attorney General’s office at the California Department of Justice, Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, California 94244-2550 or through the California Attorney General’s website at http://www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php. The telephone number for the Public Inquiry Unit is (800) 952-5225 (toll free in California) or (916) 322-3360.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I can’t believe I almost fell for this too! They sent me a letter with “You will become SUSPENDED and will not have the right to conduct business”. I was close to writing out the check when I could not find Business Filings Division in my quickbooks…THANKS TO THIS BLOG…I saved myself $235.00.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
My is addressed from 1215 K Street Sacrament, doesn’t look quite right. Annual Filing Division. Another scam.
October 9th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Today I received another scam notice - the time from “Annual Filing Division.” This time they want $195.00. I will also report this to the Attorney General.
October 9th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
This really pissed me off, I hate scammers!!! I am report this to the state attorney’s office, the document looks too official and it did not take me long to realize it was a SCAM, I already filed my statement of information for $25 directly with the state. I used legalzoom to register my LLC and they wanted to charge me somewhere around $35-50 to file the SOI which included the statement fee but I did it myself from reading the state of CA’s website.
Anyways what pisses me off the most about this SCAMMER is the fact that they are trying to take advantage of new businesses during a recession. They should burn in hell, what a shameful act.
October 10th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I’ve received this for years now, always knew it’s fraud; However, for every person who was wise enough to recognize it was a scam, how many people fell for the scame? Probably 20 victims for each savvy contributor on this thread? They must be reaping in money with a rake!! It’s sad to see the government doesn’t crack down FAST on fraud in this country. There should be a zero-tolerance for white-collar crime, but the government doesn’t seem to care much for such crime… isn’t it!
October 11th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Well just got my scam letter after being out of town for the last week….Knowing I already sent my “Statement of Info” to the Secreatary of State in Jan. for 25.00 as I have for the past ll years, I wondered what is this???? Maybe CA needs more money in this economic crisis and has come up with a Businsess Filing Div. asking for the exact same info. the Sec. of State ask’s for and charging $235.00. Until I started reading the fine print and realize they weren’t endorsed by any government agency, and the bogus claims on the back along with fact there was no phone number. I said what a joke…Need to go to the internet and find out what’s happening….Nice Logo!
October 11th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Wow. I just received the letter today. I had it all filled out and ready to go but thought it was weird how it had “THIS PRODUCT OR SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR ENDORSED BY ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY, AND THIS OFFER IS NOT BEING MADE BY AN AGENCYOF THE GOVERNMENT.” They actually made a typo.. AGENCYOF.. stuck out to me like a sore thumb. I found this page and read what people wrote. Annual Filing Division, Payment: $195. Failure to file may result in the assessment of a 250.00 penalty…
The address on the bottom is:
1215 K Street, 17th floor Sacramento CA 95814
9169933195
I actually was 100 percent sure it was a fraud by calling the number on my paper.. and then calling the same numbers listed by people on this page. SAME RECORDING! That’s when I knew FOR SURE.
October 12th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I was fooled and were it not for the amount (hardly a filing fee size) might have sent it in. thanks for setting up this site!
October 12th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Yup! I just got 2. One from the “Annual Filing Division” and one from the “Business Filing Division”. LOL, they almost got me! I don’t think my new boss would have liked me sending out that much money. I do agree though, nice job on the logos….LOL
October 12th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Also too, if you google map the address on the return envelope….it is real, but all of the addresses there use Suites, not Floor numbers (hello, it’s Sacramento not NY). So, it could LOOK legitimate to someone who doesn’t take the extra step to dig deep enough to validate it or not.
October 12th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I got one recently from the “Annual Filing Division” asking for $195. CA really needs to put a stop to this.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
I got one of these. I tried calling them to give them a piece of my mind for wasting 30 minutes of my valuable time trying to figure out what it was all about(916-903-5355), but you only get a recording, and you can’t leave a message.
October 13th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Received two in one week. Spoke with person at AG office in Sacto, she said they are filing suit against the parties and asked that I FAX what I received to their office.
916-323-5341
October 13th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
I just got two asking for $239.00 each….I’m in California who are these people?
October 13th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
The same people have a new name… Annual Filing Division. Same scam just a new name. Thanks for keeping other posted on this scam.
October 13th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
To those who paid already, good news. You may just get your money back!
http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/print_release.php?id=1817
October 13th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I just got one of these in the mail, I knew the seal was not an official California
Seal. also, there is no contact phone number. Thanks for posting this scam. Be careful and keep informed.
October 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
well I feel like a sucker
I Have 7 LLC’s and paid the fee to Business Filings Division on all LLC’s then only became suspicious when I got the same bill for Aunual Filing Division
I am pissed!
I am going to find the person in charge of this scam and get in thier face!
October 14th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I ALMOST fell for this and sent a check for my bosses company. He would have killed me had I not gotten suspicious over the seal at the top of the page and “this is not a government form”. I called Business Filings Division at
916-903-5355
Pressed 1 for Corp, press 2 for LLC
Select 1 for the option for more help on filing.
Select 2 for help filling out form
Then, press 0 to speak with someone.
Ask for Michael, and have your name/company removed from their mailing list.
I of course got a machine, but I will be keeping this number and calling till I am removed. THANK YOU for posting this - I hate being taken!
I have a new name for BFD!
October 14th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
My client just received this form, It looked suspicious, there is no phone number and i do not any goverment agency will not have the phone number. My client was going to send the check, i decided to google it and so glad it saved him 235.00
October 14th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Thank you so much for having this on your website. I wasted an hour trying to call the Secretary of State thinking that somehow I was remiss. I got suspicious because it was such a large sum of $235 and it was due on October 15th when I just received it yesterday on October 13th. I took it seriously because it looks so official with the seal and direct CA govt language. I went online and saw that my filings were all current. This is absolutely a waste of everyone’s time. How can we put them out of business!!!!
October 14th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
These guys need to be put out of business. I have paid them twice.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Thanks for this important info. I just got mine to pay 235.00 by Oct. 15th. I was looking for a phone number and discovered its not from a legit place. I looked on line and found you. smile. Glad I checked as we are a non profit org and I have to protect my Deaf and Hearing Group.
What is wrong with this world? People trying to hurt people. Shame on them.
Thank God that there are also some good people like you to inform us of those idiots.
M-E
October 14th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I just got the exact same thing from the Annual Filing Division. I was very suspicious, but found the following statement on the back of the form, and in ALL CAPS:
THIS IS A SALUTATION FOR THE ORDER OF SERVICE, AND NOT A BILL, INVOICE OR STATEMENT DUE. NO OBLIGATION TO MAKE ANY PAYMENTS UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER.
October 14th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Oh, by the way, what raised my suspicion in the first place is … geez, I’m embarrassed to say this … I got the EXACT same thing back in August (just two months ago) asking for payment. And that time I paid … there goes $239 down the drain.
October 14th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Good news, State of California just sued these scam artists:
http://zedomax.biz/blog/shitlist/business-filings-division-and-annual-filings-division-scam-artists-caught-and-sued/
October 14th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
I just finished filing my Statement of Information using form LLC-12R for my LLC by myself and it cost only $20. The Annual Filing Division is a fraud! Save money - file yourself! Someone should take the Annual Filing Division DOWN!!
October 15th, 2009 at 6:37 am
I got two letters, one from Business Filings Division in September 09 asking for $239 which I paid and everything looked so official. The 2nd one from Annual Filing Division, I just got on 10/14/09 asking for $195.00 Also, looked so official, and suspicious. I am going to call Ca Attorney General’s office to file a complaint, 1-800-952-5225. We need help from the government to stop this scam.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:22 am
So one unsettling aspect of the notification I received yesterday from Annual Filing Division is that they had the correct CA LLC number for my business. However, if you take a look at the state seal they use, you’ll notice that it’s wrong. Pretty scary though because I had gotten as far as filling out the form before doing a check on the internet to confirm the legitimacy of this notification. I’m very thankful to everyone who posted here.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:38 am
WE REC’D. TWO (2) OF THESE SAME LETTERS AND DID NOT PAY. I SENT BOTH COPIES WITH A NOTE TO
CALIFORNIA SECRETARY STATE DEBRA BOWEN
1500 11TH STREE
SACRAMENTO CA 95814
IF EVERYONE SENDS A COPY OF THERES , MAYBE THEY SHALL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!
October 15th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Wow, thank god for Google, I just cut a check for $235.00 and was rushing to put it in the mail (to avoid penalties) haha…. when something caught my eye; I actually starting reading the information a little closer….it said “Every domestic stock and agricultural cooperative corporation” ding ding! this doesn’t apply to my business, wouldn’t the state know what companies to send this letter to? Thanks to everyone for all the insight…..it saved me $235!
October 15th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I got one today 10/15 with a due date of 10/15. Said $235 was due and $250 late fee…glad I googled
October 15th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I recieved a request from Business Filings Division today. They are requesting that I pay them $235.00 immediatley. Looks like a government document however the amount is not consistant with filing or annual fee’s. Letter clearly states it is not a government document. I am reguarding this as a fraud. Thank you “US Tax Aid Services” for posting this ad.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
We also received this letter from “Business Filings Division” requesting $235. We almost wrote a check, but then felt it is suspicious. Searched on the web and thanks to all of you posting here, we were not tricked. Yes, I am wondering what the CA attorney general is doing? This kind business should have been shut down long time ago. It’s already months!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Got one too. This one is asking for $235 due today. Glad I found this blog. I will be turning this over to the CA Attorney Generals office. It’s sad that people do this and actually get away with it. That’s pretty low!!
October 15th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I had doubts after getting one from BFD ($239) then today rec’d one from AFD ($195) and they looked identical except for business address. Thanks to this site, my suspicions were confirmed. I hope these scammers get punished and banished!
October 15th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Stop being vicitm’s people!!!!! How dare these people think we are going to tolerate this. Contact The Secretary of State and make them shut these jerks down!
October 16th, 2009 at 8:48 am
This is absolutely ridiculous SCAM of the first order. I received one in the mail asking for $195 for filing Statement of Information about my LLC. Since I just filed my Statement of Information through My Corporation, I was suspicious and googled on them and found it is a SCAM as it is stated here. So, I called the number on the form. I was greeted with the familiar statement of “Your call will be recorded or monitored… ” etc. After that a women answered my call and I asked her which department of the Government they are associated with. Her answer was that they are not associated with Government. Then I asked her why should I pay them $195. She said they are a service company and they are offering their service and it is optional that I take it or not. No where in the form I received it is stated that they are offering a service. So, I confronted her with that. Here is her answer “I just now stated that to you.”
This is a classy SCAM at work. Please do not be fooled by this.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:44 am
I have just started a LLC and this is the 2nd such scam mail I have received. After the first similar scam letter I checked the site for the Attorney General (CA) website but they make it difficult to report such frauds. It seems to me that if lawenforcement would have any interest, these scammers could be easily caught. I am sure that many people just starting their first business will fall for this and that’s just not right.
October 16th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Unfortunately I took the bait and paid these thieves. Once I realized that this was foul play I filed a complaint with the State of California Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau.
I’ve since received a letter from the Attorney General that a civil action has been filed on behalf of the people of California against the company I received the letter from which is Business Fillings Division.
I encourage anyone that is in the same boat as myself to contact the Better Business Bureau and the California Attorney General to file a complaint.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Has someone started looking into a class action lawsuit for deceptive marketing?
October 17th, 2009 at 9:35 am
My dad received one for his church last week. Thank you so much for posting this!!
October 17th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I received one from Business Filings Division and paid it last week. 239.00, My mistake. My suspicians were aroused today when I received another official looking fake tax bill. Further research has led me to an attorney who is looking at the possibility of filing a class action suit against the mail-fraud scammers. Anyone who wishes to pursue civil legal action against these scum should contact:
Kenneth Berland, Attorney,
2263 Derby Street
Berkeley, CA 94705
at: 310 383 7981
Plaintiffs from Alemeda county are needed help him to file the suit in his local jurisdiction with the Alemeda County Superior Court.
It looks like the Attorney General and the Postal inspectors aren’t doing a whole lot to help the scam victims. Perhaps a civil suit will slow down these scammers.
October 18th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
NICE! The State Attorney General has sued the scammers and a couple others like them!!!
http://zedomax.biz/blog/shitlist/business-filings-division-and-annual-filings-division-scam-artists-caught-and-sued/
I hope THEY ALL GO TO JAIL!
October 19th, 2009 at 11:20 am
This happened to me too in September. I paid “Business Filing Division” the $239, thinking it was legit. Today I received another letter, this time from “Annual Filing Division” for $195. How stupid do they think I am!!!! Grrrrrr
October 20th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I just received a notice from an official looking letter from the Annual Filing Division asking for filing fees immediately for my LLC. When I called to ask for more information, I knew something was up when there was a recorded message that they were busy but no info about them calling me back. So I went on the internet and found this site. Boy am I glad. I’m not sending these frauds a penny. I’m going to report them to the state. Don’t know that it’ll help, but I’m not going to do nothing.
D.
October 20th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Yes, I got one. Government have to help us to stop this kind of scams.I hope they will take of this.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Wow it is interesting to read all of these comments and find out how completely human I am! I had not opened my mail in a few days and was totally panicked that the $239 was past due and I would get a $250 fine. My worry went into overdrive and that’s what these crooks want to happen. I sent a check in yesterday and stewed over how California was screwing small businesses because of the budget crisis. I remembered paying only $20 last year.
But then…..just today I got ANOTHER similar but not identical form asking for $195 (due in 2 days!!), but then after getting even more alarmed I became suspicious. Luckily the sheer greed of the crooks did them in, at least for me. After a few minutes of internet digging I had the check for $239 stopped at the bank before it was cashed. I then downloaded a consumer complaint form and will be sending in copies of the fraudulent documents. It will help the CA Attorney General’s office go after these guys (all this was confirmed by a phone call to their office today). You can fill in the form on the internet but having actual copies of what you received in the mail will be more effective.
I am actually quite horrified that many, many innocent people struggling to keep their small businesses afloat have probably sent in checks and have absolutely no idea they’ve been scammed.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:52 am
I got ripped because I sent the payment and then I got another one, the first one said, make check payable to” Business Filings Division” then the second one is “Annual Filing Division”. They have no heart. After ripping me off already, they want to rip me off again. God is not sleeping, I always let Him take care of these kind of people. Any advise if there is a way to get bak my money?
Thank you for all who wrote their experience on these scam. Beth
October 21st, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Same thing here. This one is for Annual Filing Division with a Sacramento, CA address. I filled it all out, worried about the due date. Then, I noticed the 993 prefix for the phone number. Cell phone??? Got a message, “unable to answer…”
SO GLAD I didn’t send it!
October 21st, 2009 at 10:42 pm
I have two LLCs and fell for the BFD scam … I’m out $478. Then today got the “Annual Filing Division” and knew immediately I’d been scammed by BFD. Dammit ! I filed a complaint with the Attorney General. We all need to show up at their offices with pitchforks and torches screaming “BFD !! BFD !!”
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Received my “Annual Filing Division” notice today. Had all of the LLC information correct but I decided to Google the address. The 1215 K Street 17th Floor address, Sacramento, CA address on the return envelope is the address for some lawyers.
Everything looked very official with the exception of the seal. It does not say State of California on it only California. I hope they put these guys behind jail.
Following info is from the sos.ca.gov website:
California businesses in receipt of a solicitation letter that seems misleading or confusing can mail a written complaint along with the entire solicitation (including the solicitation letter, the outer and return envelopes, and all related documents) to the California Attorney General’s office, Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, California 94244-2550. A complaint form, which can be completed online and printed to mail, is available on the California Attorney General’s website at http://www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
We received our notice from these “friendly” folks today. I started to fill it out, but thought it was wierd that the due date was already past and there was no contact info on the document. Thanks for exposing this!
October 27th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I work for a large company with several entities qualified in California. I am responsible for the annual reports for these entities. In the past few months I have received over 30 Statements of Information forms from the Business Filings Division. I did call them to complain amd said I was going to report them to the Attorney General. They were quite anxious to get me off the phone. Hopefully, action will be taken to stop this fradulent behavior.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:03 am
We received a letter from the “Annual Filing Division” a couple of weeks ago asking for $195.00. It looked like the real paperwork I submitted two months earlier, I thought that my payment of $20.00 might not have been received, so I called a number of the form to verify, the message stated that because of the high number of calls, my call could not be answered and gave me an e-mail address. The other things caught my attention, 1) the due date was less than two weeks from when I received it in the mail, 2) the seal does not say “State of California”, 3) the $195.00 cost, and 4) the letter stating ” this product or service has not been approved or endorsed by any govenment agence…”. So, I went on the internet and found this site, and thanks to this site, I shredded the scam.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:02 pm
I almost got dooped too, Business Filing Division, make checks payable to BFD Immediately to avoid penalties. BFD should stand for something else that I can’t even type out, what a bunch of snakes. This is quite a brilliant approach, malicious, but brilliant. I was filling out the officer information and the verbiage down at the bottom which references they are not a government agency gave it away. I’ve received similar attempts in the past but this one was prepared quite well. Unfortunately, its to my knowledge that most of these companies follow every letter of the laws setup to protect consumers. Its the laws that need updating, a clearer more protective definition of “misleading” must be used and continue to evolve as businesses like this push the envelope with new creative ways to screw Joe Consumer.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I too almost got dooped by Annual Filing Division. I was worried at first because I had forgotten about it - and missed the due date for payment of $195.00. I was worried about the assessment of a $250.00 penalty for failure to pay on time. I tried contacting them by phone in the attempt to have them waive the $250.00 penalty. No one ever answers the phone, but the recording directed me, the caller, to http://www.Support@annualfilingdivision.com. Well, it does not exist. I decided to Google “california annual filing division” where it took me to several sites which included the word “SCAM”. Wow….it opened my eyes and if it hadn’t been for this I would have been taken big-time.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Thanks a million for your warning! I was ready to send out $239, but wanted to talk to them about why we owe them this money. Then I googled “business filing division” in sacramento to get a telephone number.I am so happy I did that.
Thanks to you I didn’t lose $239 and $250 late fee from our struggling small company.
These people should be put in jail for cheating inocent people.
Thanks again!
November 11th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Only after I sent my check to these scam artists, did I actually sit down and look into it and find this site which opened my eyes. It was too late though. On my bank statements they had already cashed the check. Can someone answer these questions:
Is there ANY way to get the money back?
Is complaining to the Attorney General the only way?
Please advise.
November 19th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
These guys are tricky! If you dont look carefully & read EVERYTHING than its easy to get scammed by them. Thier seal on the ‘invoice’ isnt the CA Sec of State’s seal & also fishy that we received this a week before the ‘due date’ when normally you are notified atleast a month in advance. This looked suspicious and since I review all legal documentation with our inhouse lawyer, he was able to spot the discrempancies immediately as well!
I feel bad for anyone who doesnt realize its a scam & they send them money. Corpartate Filing Unit’s address that is listed is: 1104 Corporate Way, Sacramento, CA 95831.
Does anyone know the fraud/scam deptartment where we can forward these onto? Thanks.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
At the first reading I thought it was real, then at second reading I saw it was not a Government form and became suspicious. Before calling my legal counsel, I decided to check on the web and found your site and the truth. Many thanks !
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Unfortunately, I got one too. I scanned the letter and posted about it here. Hope that helps some people recognize it.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:12 am
This scam comes directly from a company called CorpFilers located in Valencia, CA
January 17th, 2010 at 8:05 am
Admittedly, for a variety of reasons, I did not realize I was being scammed until I received a confirmation back from them that they’d supposedly filed with the SOS what is in fact erroneous information and upon completing the investigation that I should have done initially, I discovered this fact. I will join anyone in a class-action suit and am beginning some discovery activities personally if there are others working on similar fronts, I’d like to know about it.
January 29th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
I really liked your spectacular blog! The info you provide is impressive ! I think im gonna stick around and read about 2 more of your posts. With warmth
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:47 pm
I too got burned by these #$%^%$!s. $239 gone. Would anyone like to join me in a class action law suit to try to ruin their day?
Please email me if you are interested. We only have strength in numbers, and I am happy to put this together.
Thanks!
John
classaction8@yahoo.com
March 17th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
The persons responsible for the scam are George Alan Miller, Rebecca Miller, Arghisti Keshishyan and Kristina Keshishyan. I’m hoping they get jail time for the fraud they continue to run.