NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI) – Secretary of State Tre Hargett is warning Tennessee business owners and charitable organizations about a growing mail scam targeting newly registered entities throughout the state.
According to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office, businesses have reported receiving official-looking mail solicitations from a third-party group calling itself the Business Resource Center Compliance Division. The mailers suggest that newly formed businesses must obtain a “Certificate of Status” to operate and offer to provide the document for a substantial fee.
State officials say the solicitations are misleading.
“Our office is seeing an increase in complaints from businesses about this scam mailer that asks for excessive and unnecessary fees for a form that doesn’t exist in Tennessee,” Hargett said.
The Secretary of State’s Office emphasized that Tennessee does not require newly registered businesses to obtain the document being advertised. Officials noted that any legitimate business records or filing documents can be obtained directly through the state.
The warning comes as more businesses and nonprofit organizations report receiving the mailers shortly after registering with the state.
According to Hargett, the organization behind the solicitation is not affiliated with the State of Tennessee.
Officials say the mailers appear designed to look official and may confuse business owners into believing the correspondence comes from a government agency. The Secretary of State’s Office also noted concerns that some mailings do not contain a return address and utilize a ZIP code associated with the state office.
“All business owners should be wary of any correspondence that attempts to look like it is from the State of Tennessee,” Hargett said. “This group is not affiliated with us, and we ask recipients of these unaffiliated communications to continue to report them to us, so we can notify the proper authorities.”
State officials are encouraging recipients to carefully review any business-related correspondence and verify requests for fees or documentation before sending money.
Businesses and charitable organizations that receive suspicious mailings are encouraged to contact the Division of Business and Charitable Organizations at (615) 741-2286 or by email at TNSOS.corpinfo@tn.gov.
Consumers may also file complaints with the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office by calling (615) 741-3491 or submitting a complaint online.
The Secretary of State’s Office says awareness remains one of the best defenses against scams targeting new business owners and nonprofit organizations.
