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Chamber Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton said scams arriving at the Lake County Chamber office on a fairly regular basis, and the latest came to their attention Oct. 6.
Upon opening the mail, there was a very official looking invoice from the Business Filings Division, Statement of Information, Officers List. Price tag is $235, and the recipient is said to remit immediately to avoid penalties, fines and suspension.
The document quotes California Corporations Code section 1502 and Agricultural Code section 54040, as well as other codes. What most people do not pay attention to is the business description, at the bottom of the page where it states that “this product or service has not been approved or endorsed by any government agency, and this offer is not being made by an agency of the government.”
The mailing address in Sacramento might lead you to believe that this is a state request for payment, etc., if you had not read the business description in the final section. The form that comes to each corporation, biannually, from the California Secretary of State, requests this same information. The state filing fee is $20 and it is an official document.
Another member called the chamber on Oct. 6, stating they had received a call from National Safety Supplies, Safety Compliance department insisting that they need to purchase a mandatory CalOsha kit for $369. This kit contains the employee posters, etc.
When the chamber attempted to call the phone number that had been given to the member, it rang once and then nothing.
By December of this year, the Lake County Chamber will once again be selling the mandatory State Employee Information Posters for under $25 each, as a convenience for local businesses. Fulton said they annually purchase these posters along with the mandatory brochures ($2.50 each), from the California Chamber. Watch for order information in the Lake County Chamber November newsletter. Non Chamber members can also purchase these products from us, at a slightly higher price, but still under $30/each.
The Lake County Chamber urges everyone to be very diligent in making sure all invoices and statements from entities you do not know are, in fact, legitimate.
Above all, do not pay for anything you do not remember ordering, regardless of harassing phone calls, etc. Unless those pressing for payment can prove they have received your written authorization for such products, you are under no obligation to pay.
The Lake County Chamber is located at 875 Lakeport Blvd., Vista Point in Lakeport, phone 707-263-5092. Visit their Web site at at www.lakecochamber.com .
