Florida Business Allegedly Scamming North Carolina Companies

Company barred from calling or sending phoney invoices or collection letters to North Carolina businesses.

December 29, 2007

WAKE COUNTY NC NEWS -- A temporary restraining order has been placed to stop a Florida company, National Business Registration, National Companies Registrar Corporation from calling or sending phoney invoices or collection letters to North Carolina businesses. The company is believed to have sent mailings to North Carolina businesses claiming to be affiliated with a government agency and threatening to dissolve their corporation if payment wasn't received within 14 days.

On December 27, Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard E. Manning Jr. granted North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper's request to temporarily bar the company and its owner, Bernd A. Taubert from misleading businesses with phony invoices and calls. In addition, Cooper is now seeking to permanently stop the defendants' deceptive practices, and is asking the court to order them to pay civil penalties to the state.

Attorney General Roy Cooper said, "Companies that use threatening and misleading tactics to prey on unsuspecting businesses have no place in our state. We've put a stop to their bogus claims so that no other businesses will fall into their trap."

In the complaint filed by Cooper and North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall, both contend that National Business Registrar sent invoices to businesses claiming that they failed to register with the National Corporation Registry. The mailings claim that registering is mandated by the Federal Patriot Act. The mailings further stated that the company must pay $487 and provide information to avoid dissolution of their corporation. According to Secretary Marshall's affidavit, there is no national business registry maintained by a government on any level. Furthermore, National Business Registrar's mailings include an official looking emblem or seal that could be mistaken for the Official Seal of North Carolina. Businesses are directed to a website that also contains a link to the official website of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State.

Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall said, "This is a scam against North Carolina's business people, plain and simple. We urge everyone as strongly as we can not to send these crooks any money."

Finally, the Attorney General and Secretary of State believe the mailings were deliberately timed to arrive just as North Carolina companies are finalizing their financial affairs for the year in hopes that busy office personnel might pay the demanded sum without checking into the claims. North Carolina companies who believe they may have paid a phoney invoice should contact the North Carolina Attorney General's office immediately.