Michigan businesses alerted of scam involving false annual statement fees

Michigan businesses are being warned about a fraudulent scheme involving mail solicitations from an entity named "New Business Filing LLC." These mailings attempt to collect fees for annual statements from corporations and limited liability companies, even if the recipients have already submitted their required documents. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) emphasizes that these solicitations, which may resemble official documents, are not legitimate.

Official communications to Michigan entities come from LARA's Corporations, Securities, and Commercial Licensing Bureau. They are sent to the resident agent at the registered office address on record. Businesses receiving any suspicious documents should scrutinize them carefully and contact LARA at 517-241-6470 if they have concerns.

"LLCs are required to file annual statements, but this scam deliberately targets them regardless of whether they have already complied with the requirement," said LARA Director Marlon I. Brown. "These deceptive mailings are not from LARA, even if they appear official. Our business customers should disregard them and only respond to correspondence directly from LARA."

Business owners with questions about their corporation or limited liability company can visit www.michigan.gov/lara for assistance in checking their status and filing history.

If a Michigan entity receives such a notice, it is advised to retain all related materials including the mailing envelope and return envelope. Additionally, they should report mail fraud to the United States Postal Inspections Service at 1-877-876-2455 or via https://www.uspis.gov/, as well as contact the Michigan Department of the Attorney General at 877-765-8388 or Michigan.gov/ag.

Fraudulent letters may appear authentic by addressing corporations or citing legal statutes while mimicking communication styles of official state departments like LARA. If there is doubt about any document's legitimacy, contacting LARA at 517-241-6470 is recommended.

For more information about LARA services and updates, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara