Connecticut business owners are being targeted in a new scam by a private company attempting to collect money for an unnecessary business operations document.
According to a joint statement issued by Attorney General William Tong and Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, a company calling itself CT Certificate Service has been mailing letters to Connecticut businesses demanding a $112.50 fee for the companies to receive a “Connecticut Certificate of Existence.” The letter insists that the certificate is need to prove that the business “complies with all state requirements.”
CT Certificate Service has a West Hartford mailing address, although an investigation found it is run by a private company out of Florida.
A certificate of existence is not a required document for a business operating in Connecticut. The certificate, which is designed to affirm that a company is active and up-to-date with its annual report filing, can be obtained through the Secretary of the State’s office.
“CT Certificate of Service has no affiliation with the State of Connecticut and this is not a legitimate mailing,” said Tong. “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,” added Merrill.
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