The Corporate Transparency Act is real, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is real; however, this letter is not. Scammers have long impersonated government officials; this time, they’re using a new act to confuse business owners into giving up their information.
In the scam, a business may receive a letter in the mail that looks very official. It claims to come from the United States Business Regulations Department, Corporate Transparency Act Division, Process and Filing Center. It’s addressed to the business and has a notice ID number. Scammers combine personal information collected from data breaches with official-looking seals and watermarks to make the correspondence seem legitimate.
The letter informs the business that it has “reporting obligations under the Corporate Transparency Act” and must report ownership information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The letter asks you to visit a website or scan a QR code to report information.
Anyone who receives such a letter should disregard it and report it.
Verify correspondence with government agencies. If you receive a piece of mail or a call that seems suspicious, take a step back and ensure it’s legitimate before taking action. Call the government office directly, using the official phone number, to verify the communications are real.
Don’t engage with scammers. As soon as you know you are dealing with a scammer, cease communication. Stop answering calls, letters, or emails, and block any numbers that have called you about the scam.
Report government impostor scams to the FBI. Help the Federal Bureau of Investigation catch scammers by reporting your experience to ic3.gov.
