The state’s consumer and business overseers are warning Connecticut’s businesses to avoid scammers claiming the firms must fork over bogus state-mandated fees for records and services.
The state Department of Consumer Protection, the Secretary of the State’s office and the state Attorney General’s office jointly Thursday issued the alert.
The deceptive solicitation, authorities say, has an “official” appearance and references a Connecticut state law. Scams like this direct the recipient to send a fee, usually much higher than the true fee, for services that are not needed.
“This scam attempts to collect money from companies that need to comply with a state reporting requirement,” state Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris said. “There is absolutely no value in responding to this fake mailing and we urge companies to ignore it; do not send payment.”
Attorney General George Jepsen said his office has collected about a dozen business complaints about the ruse. Jepsen said his office is investigating to identify the scam’s source.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and Harris offered these tips for spotting bogus solicitations:
- Review the fine print. Many, like the one in this example, will state that it “does not officially represent the State of Connecticut or other government entity,” or something similar. However, not all fake solicitations include this disclosure, so it’s always best to confirm with the appropriate official source, especially before sending any payment.
- Before initiating payment, verify with the person in your company responsible for official reporting.
- Be wary of mailings from companies with the word “compliance” in their name.
Authorities also urge anyone who receives an “invoice” or other request for payment for unordered, undelivered or unsolicited services to notify the Department of Consumer Protection at dcp.frauds@ct.gov or call 1-800-842-2649.
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