Connecticut business owners are being targeted in a new scam attempting to collect money for a bogus document that certifies their company exists.
Attorney General William Tong and Secretary of the State Denise Merrill this week issued an alert to Connecticut companies about a mailing from a company calling itself CT Certificate Service. The mailing suggests that Connecticut businesses must pay a fee of $112.50 to CT Certificate Service in order to obtain copies of their “Connecticut Certificate of Existence.”
On the mailing, CT Certificate Service lists a West Hartford return address, which makes it appear to be based in Connecticut. In reality, the West Hartford address is a private mailbox service. CT Certificate Service actually appears to be a fictitious name used by a company based in Saint Petersburg, Fla.
“CT Certificate of Service has no affiliation with the state of Connecticut and this is not a legitimate mailing,” said Tong in a statement. If you have received this letter or sent money to this company, I want to hear from you.”
“There is no legal requirement for any business to obtain a certificate of legal existence, or to pay the inflated fee indicated,” said Merrill, whose office functions as the state’s business registry. “If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of a business filing notice you receive, please contact my office at 860-509-6003 or email us at crd@ct.gov.”
