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Beware Illinois Small Business Owners -

by: Michael Wasserman

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is warning businesses to beware of a scam targeting
Illinois corporations.

A firm called Corporate Records Service is contacting Illinois businesses in an attempt to
collect a $125 fee to fill out a corporation’s “Annual Minutes Records Form.”  The Illinois Business
Corporation Act does not require corporations to file a “Minutes Records Form” or pay such a fee
with the state or any private entity.

“The problem is that the form this bogus firm is sending out looks similar to our Secretary of
State’s annual report form,” White said.  “We are concerned that companies are filing the form and
paying the $125 because they believe they are filing their annual report with us, as required by law.”

Although the bogus notice states that the fee must be paid by September 21, 2012, there is no
fee due to the state for that purpose.  The only fee that corporations must pay is the fee that is paid
with their annual report.  Illinois corporations should be on the alert for this and other similar
attempts to defraud them.

The Secretary of State police and Illinois Attorney General’s Office are investigating this
deceptive business practice.

White is recommending that corporations do not reply to the solicitation.

If a business has questions or wants to report that they have been a victim of the scam, please
contact the Secretary of State’s Office at 312-814-2201.

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