We just received an alert from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office about a business identity theft case that should serve as a potent reminder for us all. The Mississippi official says it’s an international internet scheme that bilked a Mississippi company out of about $320,000. This attachment shows it’s happened elsewhere, including in Washington State.

Pam Floyd, our Corporations Division director, says this ID theft case presents a good time to remind companies registered with Corporations to check their information on its website.

If any company registered with our Corporations Division has any question or concern about this business ID theft scam, it should contact Corporations at (360) 725-0377 or [email protected] .

Here is the alert from Mississippi:

Alert: International Internet Scheme defrauds MS Company
The Secretary of State’s Office has been alerted to an internet scheme with international ties that bilked a Mississippi attorney out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Mississippi attorney received an email from someone purporting to be Robert Larsen of Larsen Fabrics located in the United Kingdom. “Mr. Larsen” claimed a Mississippi company owed money on a contract and was willing to settle. “Mr. Larsen” employed the Mississippi attorney to collect the debt. The attorney was then informed the Mississippi company was prepared to settle.

A fraudulent settlement check was sent to the attorney, allegedly from the Mississippi company. The attorney deposited the check and wired funds to a Japanese account before the fraud was discovered. The Mississippi company had no knowledge of the scheme until contacted by investigators.

Business identify theft is a growing problem in the United States. The Secretary of State’s Office encourages all businesses to regularly review its business filings on our website at www.sos.ms.gov to ensure no pertinent business information has been changed without authorization. Report any suspicious activity in a business filing to the Business Services Division of the Secretary of State’s Office at 601-359-1633.