Small Business Scam Alert: "United States Business Regulations Department" Letters

It has come to our attention that some business owners have received letters, ostensibly from a U.S. Government agency called the “United States Business Regulations Department,” notifying them of a registration requirement and potential financial penalties. Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that these communications are not from any legitimate government entity but rather from scammers attempting to defraud unsuspecting small business owners.

To safeguard your business from falling victim to such scams, we recommend the following steps for verifying the legitimacy of any government-related communication:

• Website Verification: Utilize the WHOIS website lookup (https://whois.icann.org) to check the registrant information of the website mentioned in the communication. Legitimate government entities typically have identifiable domain registrants.
• Domain Authentication: Ensure that the website domain associated with the communication has a ".gov" extension. Government websites in the United States exclusively use this domain extension. For Department of Defense entities, those sites are either at the “.gov” or “.mil” extension.
• Secure Connection: Look for the "https://" protocol in the website URL. Legitimate government sites use secure connections, often indicated by a padlock icon in the address bar.
• Web Banner Confirmation: Check for any banners or notifications at the top of the website, providing guidance on how to confirm the authenticity of the site. Genuine government websites often include such information.

Reporting Suspicious Communications

If you encounter any suspicious communications or believe you have been targeted by a scam, please report the incident promptly to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via their official reporting platform: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov. Your vigilance can contribute to the collective effort in combating fraudulent activities.