COLOMBIA, SC (WOLO) – South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond is urging South Carolinians to be aware of fraud in which an entity is selling fake “status certificates” to companies.
“This week, our office received several complaints from companies claiming that they had received a letter in the mail from an entity called SC Certificate Service,” said Secretary Hammond. “The letter was intended to provide a ‘South Carolina Status Certificate’ for $ 87.25. Businesses should be aware that this is not an official certificate issued by the state of South Carolina, and that this so-called status certificate is not required to conduct business transactions in this state. “
Authorities say the letter from the SC Certification Service makes false claims that “a South Carolina Status Certificate is issued by the Secretary of State and may be required for loans, to renew business licenses or for tax or other business purposes. “.
Secretary Hammond says that although the Office of the Secretary of State issues certificates of existence, they are not issued by any private entity.
Officials in the Secretary of State’s Office say you should contact them if you receive one of these letters. “It is a pity that there are scammers out there who try to take advantage of companies by marketing these fake documents,” said Secretary Hammond. “I implore companies and consumers to verify the legitimacy of any requests they receive before sending any money.”
You can contact the Secretary of State’s Business Archives Division at 803-734-2158 or through the Secretary of State’s website at sos.sc.gov.