Google-searched the phone number and got this hit on the Better Business Bureau' Scam Tracker website:
BBB Scam Tracker: (888) 705-1545

quote:

Originally posted by dave7378:

I have never received one of those.

I receive similar crap for Florida business license renewal, vehicle registration renewal, and probably a few more things that I can't think of right now.

They all offer to do, for a fee, things that I can do for myself at no cost.

Does it have a prepaid return envolope?? If so stuff it so full and heavy and send it back, if everyone did this they will pay HUGE shipping rates!

The new reporting rule requires filing a report with FINCen (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) for ANY entity that was created by a filing with a Secretary of State, or similar gov entity, but the probes by the profiteers are a mechanism to get a fee for what you can, and should do, on your own.

It's obscene and is putting a huge burden on small businesses and is once again, punish the many for the sins of a few.

To delay this, CALL you Senator, the House passed a bill to delay this SHIT but the Senate hasn't acted on it.

These probes are similar to those probes to file a boat with the Coast Guard, they probe you a few months before your CG boat registration expires using something that looks like it's official but is not coming from the .GOV.

Here, you can find the myriad of details of the BOI reporting requirements:
https://www.fincen.gov/boi-faqs

quote:

The new reporting rule requires filing

There's already an existing rule, called filing your taxes, which does the exact same thing.

If it comes with a prepaid return envelope, tape it to a cinder block and send it back. I loath scammers.

Not a legit US Gov website. The URL forwards to https://tprepamerica.us/ which looks to be a for profit enterprise called "Annual Records Service LLC" offering to help you file paperwork posing as a scary mandatory letter from the Gov

The who.is lookup on that tells us the perp is Michael Mauro of 770 76th Ave N in St. Petersburg, FL (looks like he runs this "business" out of an 800sf house)

https://who.is/whois/tprepamerica.us

SunBiz.org is an official website, run by the Florida Department of Revenue. You can use that site to obtain registration information on any Florida business.

A search there for "Michael Mauro" shows that he has a few businesses registered, including "Annual Records Service, LLC" and "Tax Prep America, LLC."

Looks like he might be a serial offender.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:

quote:

The new reporting rule requires filing

There's already an existing rule, called filing your taxes, which does the exact same thing.

Wrongo, Mongo! Fines for not filing with FinCen are Draconian. Give it a whirl.

You'll also see these scams at the state level. I get at least one a year, associated with my filing requirements with the Secretary of State.

Certainly, I do have to pay fees. Something like $80 per year. A couple of companies "scrape" the business data from the Secretary of State's website to get their target lists.

They sent a very official-looking letter - just like the one shown - telling me they would take care of this important filing for me for $250.

quote:

Wrongo, Mongo! Fines for not filing with FinCen are Draconian. Give it a whirl.

I get that, but that wasn't my point. My point was that government is constantly making the taxpayer work much harder than necessary, because they already have other systems in place.

Let me give you an example at my local/state level:

Every year I need to apply for a business permit. The county knows who is required to have a permit, because the state forwards them a list of all entities with sales tax numbers that year.

The locals require a "no tax due letter" to renew the permit, indicating that the applicant is current on their sales tax payments. That requires you to contact them to have one mailed, or to jump through some hoops online to print one out.

Remember where the state sends them the list each year? The same state that issues the no tax due letters? I'd think that the state could easily put a checkmark or otherwise indicate who was current on their end prior to sending the list.

In this case, tax payers file (or should be filing) returns for entities they own or partially own. The IRS already has (or should have) that information. So why must the taxpayers report it multiple times?

Go get yourself a DOT number. Then set back and watch the grifters come knocking. You could wallpaper your house with all the scary compliance letters you receive.

We live in the age of the grift economy.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Go get yourself a DOT number. Then set back and watch the grifters come knocking. You could wallpaper your house with all the scary compliance letters you receive.

We live in the age of the grift economy.

That is the truth. I got hammered with garbage once I had filed for a NYS DOT number.

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Beneficial Owner Information https://www.fincen.gov/boi

Thought I'd revive this thread because I saw a video on this very subject this morning by an attorney. While there are fradulent people trying to gather your information, there is also a mandatory reporting requirement by big Govt with a $500/day fine. The deadline originally was 30 days, but has since slipped to 90 days. Either way, I'd be inclined to have my lawyer file the official response. The link directly above is to the Official Govt site.

Personally, I'd mark all your documents CUI/FIN (Controlled Unclassified Information, Financial) in the header and footer. This requires a slightly higher level of attention and control of the documents.

quote:

While there are fradulent people trying to gather your information, there is also a mandatory reporting requirement by big Govt

Why can the fraudulent people identify these business owners without anything being filed, but the US Government can not?

At least you're not a Nigerian prince.