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Recently a new Elizabethtown business said they were sent a 2019 Certificate of Existence request form which required a $74.50 registration fee. After further investigating the form, the business owner found the service to be a scheme.

Elaine F. Marshall, North Carolina Secretary of State issued a statement on the scheme. The sosnc.org states, “NC Certificate Service has mailed out forms so that businesses can order a NC Secretary of State 2019 Certificate of Existence at a cost of $74.50. This is a business scheme and not necessary. Businesses are not required to order a Certificate of Existence as a step in the formation process. See below for more information about Certificates of Existence. This company is using public information on the records of the Secretary of State’s office to solicit North Carolina businesses.”

View a copy of the request form here.

You can order a Certificate of Existence directly from the Secretary of State’s Office for $15 or less. You may visit, https://www.sosnc.gov for more information.

Mrs. Beverly Parks, Bladen County Register of Deeds announced a scheme similar to this one earlier this year.

Mrs. Parks warned Bladen County residents about a solicitation a resident received in the mail. Property Profile Inc. out of Glendora, California, sent solicitation letters selling real estate records for $86.

Parks explained she could make copies for 25 cents or residents may go on line and get the records for free. More of these schemes are popping up.

Do your homework and investigate the business requesting money. Ask your local, trusted family, friends, or elected officials about the questionable business.

Related articles:

https://bladencounty.org/bladen-county-register-of-deeds-announced-online-access-and-warns-citizens-misleading-solicitations/

https://bladencounty.org/niki-dennis-bladen-county-clerk-of-courts-warns-citizens-about-scam/