Greetings Friends! I hope you're faring well as we hopefully approach the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel!
Today's message is to prevent you from being scammed.
Every year, I hear from hardworking business people who, in trying to be conscientious about their businesses, get caught up in these scams. I, myself, received an official looking scam bill today which prompted the writing of this newsletter, hopefully to save someone from falling for one of these scams, or worse yet, from compromising their debit/credit card information.
Warning: Fake SUNSHINE BIZ SERVICES Invoice Scam
This fake invoice is supposedly a renewal notice for annual website hosting. It shows a bill of $180 payable to "Sunshine Biz Services Inc."
While this looks and sounds like a bill, if you read further you will see that it says:
"THIS IS A SOLICITATION FOR THE ORDER OF GOODS OR SERVICES, OR BOTH, AND NOT A BILL, INVOICE, OR STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT DUE."
Scams like this try to confuse prompt payers to quickly write a check, or even worse, provide credit or debit card into. Don't fall for it! This scam has been around since at least 2015 or before.
BEWARE: COMPLIANCE SERVICES "Annual Minutes" or "Annual Corporate Record Forms" Due Scam
The Florida Division of Corporations requires corporations to file their annual reports once per year and they will remind you via email, generally around the end of December/early January. This is a legitimate requirement and should only be completed at www.sunbiz.org
Generally this filing is due by April 30th to avoid a $400 penalty. The cost for an LLC renewal is $138.75/year. The cost for a corporation is $150/year. It is a quick and easy process to renew annually. Due to COVID-19, the State of Florida has extended the 2020 filing deadline to June 30th. (Note: process your renewal at least one day prior to the deadline as there is a 24hour delay in processing your renewal - if you wait until June 30th, your renewal will not post until July 1st and you will receive the late penalty).
Do not mistake "Annual Minutes" or "Annual Corporate Record Forms" notices with the Florida Department of State's required Annual Report Filings (UBR)
These notices, which solicit a fee of anywhere from $125 to $250, are NOT from the Department of State or any other state or federal agency.
These forms are not required by the Florida Division of Corporations or any other government agency.
You can check www.sunbiz.org regarding any questionable notices. Scroll to the bottom of the Homepage for "Consumer Notices".
If you are not sure whether or not a correspondence you received is a real bill, you are welcome to contact our office AT(813) 661-0049 and we'll be happy to assist you.
Cynthia Alloway is the president of Common Sense Business Solutions, Inc., a leading business coaching firm that assists small and medium sized business owners in solving business problems, growing their companies, and transitioning their legacy to the next generation. Cynthia is a QuickBooks Pro Advisor and has a wealth of experience in serving clients in the Southeast. Learn more at http://www.commonsensebizsolutions.com/president-bio/.