By Phillip B. Rarick, Miami Probate Attorney
We endeavor to keep you up on scams directed at Florida businesses and here is another one. Special thanks for this Scam Alert to alert readers Josefina Piedra and Tere Kipp.
If you receive a letter appearing to be an “official” letter from the state of Florida advising that you need to send in about $56 to secure a Certificate of Status for your corporation watch out. This is a scam. The company sending you this letter is called Florida Center of Corporations. It has a Davie, Florida post office box. This company is not a state government agency even though the letter and envelope make it look like one.
This company appears to mail out letters to any company that registers a new corporate entity in Florida. They tell you that you have “one step left” to receive a certificate of status. They request payment of $56.47 for an LLC. First, you do not need a certificate of status for registration. Second, a certificate of status for an LLC costs $5; for a corporation, $8.75.
The Florida Center of Corporations is a fictitious name filed by a company called L Seven Development, LLC. The Better Business Bureau rates them “F”.
If you receive such a letter, I suggest you call the Florida Attorney General’s office Hotline at 1-866-966-7226.
Special Note
The information on this blog is of a general nature and is not intended to answer any individual’s legal questions. Do not rely on information presented herein to address your individual legal concerns. If you have a legal question about your individual facts and circumstances, you should consult an attorney that is experienced in Florida estate planning law. Your receipt of information from this website or blog does not create an attorney-client relationship and the legal privileges inherent therein.