Scammers Mail Fake Notices to Business Owners

Scammers send fake forms and letters from made-up agencies to small business owners and demand payment ASAP. The letters have agency names that include words like ‘United States,’ ‘business regulation,’ and ‘trademark’ to make them seem legitimate. The letters lie that it’s time to register or renew a business license or trademark, and send you to a website that asks for your license, Social Security, EIN, and credit card numbers. Usually, the letters warn about fines if you don’t respond fast.

If you get a letter that looks like it’s from the government and demands money or information, stop. It could be a scam. Before you do anything:

· Verify the agency is real before you respond. Go to USA.gov to verify the names and contact information of federal, state, and local, government agencies. Don’t use any websites or phone numbers listed in the letter.

· Know that the government will never ask you to wire money with services like Western Union or MoneyGram, or pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a payment app. Only scammers will, because it’s hard to track and recover those types of payments.

Proactively protect your business and employees against this and similar scams with training and information. Your best defense is an informed staff who know how to identify and avoid potential scams. Make sure procedures are clear for approving payments and invoices, and ask staff to thoroughly verify all contacts and requests for money or information.