News Release - Company Sued for Fraudulent Business Invoices

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Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

March 22, 2007

en Español

Print Version

Media Contact: Sandi Copes
Phone: (850) 245-0150

Company Sued for Fraudulent Business Invoices

~ McCollum cautions business owners against deceptive practices employed by South Florida company ~

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that his office has filed a lawsuit against a South Florida company based on allegations that the company implies an affiliation with state government to solicit funds from business owners. National Companies Register Corp. solicits individuals around the country who have recently formed a corporation in their state or who have legally registered a fictitious name.

Advertisements sent out by the company soliciting payment for access to the company’s web based directory appear to be an invoice for approximately $600. The advertisements are designed such that a consumer would believe payment of the fee is part of the procedure of registering a company for business. To further give the illusion of being an official document, the document used to contains a reproduction of the flag for the state in which the addressee lived.

Investigators with the Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division contacted several consumers who had paid the fee to the company and were unaware that they had paid a private company for an alleged service. Instead, they believed the payment was a requirement to register their company. The Attorney General’s Office has already filed a lawsuit against the company’s owner, Bernd Taubert, for similar business practices associated with Federated Institute for Patent & Trademark Registry, another company owned by Taubert.

McCollum cautioned business owners against paying invoices sent out by National Companies Register Corp. and encouraged individuals to check with the Florida Department of State if they have questions about any of the requirements associated with forming a corporation or registering a fictitious name. He also asked any Floridians who believe they may have been victimized by either National Companies Register Corp. or Federated Institute for Patent & Trademark Registry to contact the Attorney General’s Office by phone at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226) or online at http://myfloridalegal.com.

A copy of the lawsuit filed against National Companies Register Corp. is available here.