Corporate Regulatory Committee Annual Report scam

We have had numerous reports of a new solicitation from a company called Corporate Regulatory Committee that many Oregon businesses report to be "confusing", “deceptive”, or “a scam.”

This solicitation cites Oregon Law, warns of potential administrative dissolution if action is not taken by a specified date, and offers to file the renewal with the Secretary of State Corporation Division (for a fee of $238) as the business’ agent. In one example, the solicitation requested fees and a response from the business nearly a full year before the annual report was required to be filed with the Division.

This solicitation uses carefully worded language to attempt to avoid violating any known state or federal laws. In a typical example, for $238 the Corporate Regulatory Committee will pay the required $100 fee to the Secretary of State Corporation Division to complete the annual report filing, and keep the balance for providing the service. If you paid this company to file your annual report with the Secretary of State Corporation Division, you should immediately contact the Oregon Department of Justice, Financial Fraud and Consumer Protection Section.

What to do if you receive one of these solicitations.

1. Do not reply to the Corporate Regulatory Committee solicitation or send any money.
The annual report filing fee for an Oregon Corporation or LLC is just $100 per year when paid directly to the State of Oregon. Do not use expensive third party services to complete a simple transaction you can do yourself.

2. Verify when your business registration is due for renewal.
Use the Secretary of State Corporation Division’s Business Name Search to search for your business name online. If your business registration is due for renewal, you will see the due date and an option to Renew Online by credit card.


EXAMPLE

3. Renew directly with the Secretary of State Corporation Division.
The Secretary of State Corporation Division has made the process of renewing your business registration easy and convenient. Please use one of the following methods:

Renew Online Option
Renew Online is safe, and the fastest way to renew your business registration.

Renew by Mail Option
45 days prior to the anniversary date, the Corporation Division will mail an ANNUAL REPORT to the business' mailing address.

Call or E-Mail if you have any questions.
The Secretary of State Corporation Division is here to help.
Please contact us at 503-986-2200, or e-mail us at Corporation.Division@state.or.us

If you paid Corporate Regulatory Committee to file your business’ annual report - PLEASE NOTE A business owner who believes they were confused or mislead by the Corporate Regulatory Committee solicitation may be able to request a refund directly from the company by writing to the address listed on the solicitation - Corporate Regulatory Committee, 1118 Lancaster Drive # 369, Salem OR 97301. If Corporate Regulatory Committee refuses to issue a refund, business owners may want to consider filing a complaint with the Oregon Attorney General’s office at 1-877-877-9392, or file a complaint online at www.doj.state.or.us/finfraud/concompform.shtml reprinted from Oregon Secretary of State