ATTENTION NC BUSINESSES: The Secretary of State’s Office has issued a Scam Alert Regarding National Business Register.

The Secretary of State’s Office has discovered an apparent attempt to defraud North Carolina businesses. The “National Companies Register Corporation” is mailing “Important Final Notices” to North Carolina businesses in an effort to collect $487.00 on the premise that businesses are required to nationally register under the Patriot Act of 2001.

This notice contains elements of the North Carolina Seal and the website is capable of directing you to the North Carolina Secretary of State’s corporate search webpage. Be assured, no such governmental national registry exists.

Moreover, on December 27, 2007 North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall and North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper enjoined Bernd A. Taubert, doing business as National Business Registration and National Companies Registrar Corporation in a Temporary Restraining Order in North Carolina Superior Court for Deceptive Trade Practices in order to prevent further violations of law and further harm to businesses in North Carolina.

To see a copy of the Restraining Order go to this link: http://www.sosnc.com/TempRestrainingOrder.pdf

If you receive a fraudulent notice to register your business in a national database to avoid dissolution of your corporation, please do the following:

1. Keep the notice, mailing envelope and return envelope.

2. Contact the United States Postal Inspections Service to report mail fraud at:
877-876-2455 or http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov (investigations drop down menu – mail fraud – file a complaint)

3. Contact the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Attention: Horace Farrar at 919-807-2040 or email at hfarrar@sosnc.com

You may check your business status anytime through the North Carolina Secretary of State’s website at www.sosnc.com and link to the Corporations Division webpage.

Should you have any further corporate law questions, please visit our website or contact our Charlotte office at 704.333.5230.

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