Secretary of State warns business owners of deceptive letter

INDIANAPOLIS (WLFI/AP) – Indiana’s secretary of state is warning Hoosier businesses to be wary of a payment scam that’s tied to a deceptive letter.

Connie Lawson says businesses have recently received a letter claiming to come from a group called the Indiana Council for Corporations that some might confuse with a legitimate state form.

The letter requests a $125 payment for keeping and processing the group’s annual minutes, with a return address typically referencing a UPS store in Speedway.

Lawson says Indiana business owners have received similar letters in recent years. They’re more frequent during tax season when people are busy and may not have time to thoroughly read each document they receive.

Business owners should not confuse the scam with the need for filing a business entity report that’s required under state law.