The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the division of the US Treasury Department responsible for collecting new Beneficial Ownership Information reports from many companies in the United States, has issued an alert about potential scams involving the new reporting.
The new BOI Reports became required of most US companies this year, under the Corporate Transparency Act. FinCEN said that scammers are trying to defraud people and companies into revealing personal information, using bogus approaches for information regarding BOI Reports
FinCEN recently issued this alert about the issue:
“FinCEN has learned of fraudulent attempts to solicit information from individuals and entities who may be subject to reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act.
“Many companies are required to report information to FinCEN about the individuals who ultimately own or control them. FinCEN began accepting reports on January 1, 2024. Learn more about reporting deadlines.
“These fraudulent scams may include:
- Correspondence requesting payment. There is NO fee to file BOI directly with FinCEN. FinCEN does NOT send correspondence requesting payment to file BOI. Do not send money in response to any mailing that claims to be from FinCEN or another government agency.
- Correspondence that asks the recipient to click on a URL or to scan a QR code. Those e-mails or letters are fraudulent. Do not click any suspicious links or attachments or scan any QR codes in emails, on websites, or in any unsolicited mailings.
- Correspondence that references a “Form 4022,” or an “Important Compliance Notice.” This correspondence is fraudulent. FinCEN does not have a “Form 4022.” Do not send BOI to anyone by completing these forms.
- Correspondence or other documents referencing a “US Business Regulations Dept.” This correspondence is fraudulent; there is no government entity by this name.”
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