Scam artists get more sophisticated every day. 

According to the Better Business Bureau, a relatively new scam targets small businesses. 

We warn business owners in our coverage area to be suspect of any letters, postcards, emails or telephone messages that claim to be a  “Notice of Potential Compliance Violation.”

More than likely it is a scam. 

According to the BBB, the scammer gives an address of 300 Colonial Center, Suite 100, Roswell, Georgia 30076. However, the consumer group said it has learned the address is for a building that leases virtual offices, and the BBB has been unable to even verify if the company sending the mail actually occupies space in the building. The telephone number provided in some of the phony notices is (855) 864-9420.

However, we know that scam artists mimic one another and scammers frequently change addresses and contact information. 

Don’t assume because your business received such a notice and it did not come from the Roswell address or list that telephone number that the notice is legitimate. 

The notices, mostly post cards, look official and appear to be coming from the state or another government agency. 

According to a news release from the BBB, the “Notice of Potential Compliance Violation” instructs the business to call a number to avoid potential fees and penalties.

Here is how the scam works, “Once on the phone the company solicits monies to clear up the issue and to send you a “Certificate of Good Standing” or similar document that, if it exists, could be obtained through the real government agency at a much lower fee or at no cost, the bureau said. 

There is generally fine print on the notices with a message such as, “This product has not been approved or endorsed by any government agency and this offer is not being made by an agency of the government.” 

Other scams contain no such disclaimers and purport to be from an official government agency. 

It is all intended to seem official.

The BBB explained, “The solicitations also include details about the entity, officers and directors and warnings about penalties and fines and a series of form numbers that could lead the recipient to believe they are official.”

The consumer group cautioned, “If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of a notice you receive, we strongly encourage you to check with the actual government agency referenced or implied in the notice, the Georgia Secretary of State’s office (for business corporate registration), the industry’s licensing agency.”

Most small businesses operate on a razor thin margin and can ill afford loses due to a scam. Even a few hundred dollars can compromise a small company’s ability to meet payroll, purchase supplies or pay its vendors. 

Consumers are often warned to do business with people they know or who are recommended by someone they know. 

Business owners should make themselves aware of local government agencies and any state or federal regulators that they must “do business with” in order to avoid these kinds of predatory scam artists. 

It doesn’t do any good any more to simply read the fine print. 

The fine print is a scam as well. 

It is a shame that businesses, and all consumers, simply have to be skeptical, but skepticism is exactly what it takes to protect your finances in this climate.