Fraudulent Certificate of Status Examples
The California Secretary of State has found fraudulent Certificates of Status being circulated from websites and social media messaging applications with payment platforms such as WhatsApp and WeChat. Some are making false and fraudulent representations about the obligation to obtain a Certificate of Status to induce businesses to pay for bogus certificates. Some pose as legitimate intermediaries, others specifically offer fake certificates. See examples below.
A fraudulent Certificate of Status can be identified from the following characteristics:
- Missing the official State of California Seal.
- Entity details are missing, labeled or displayed incorrectly.
- Dates of certification do not match.
- The SOS is not affiliated with any other websites accepting forms or payments for business filings or certificates.
No business is required to go through another private entity to obtain documents or certificates from the California Secretary of State's office and no private entity can issue these documents, although a business entity may use an intermediary to submit filings, request a certificate of status, and pay fees to our office. Note: While a business entity may use an intermediary to file or request documents on their behalf, the intermediary typically charges their own service fees.
A Certificate of Status can only be issued by the California Secretary of State who is the official custodian of business records for the State of California. A Certificate of Status for Uniform Commercial Code, Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and Limited Partnerships can be obtained online at bizfile Online for a processing fee of $5.00. For other entity types, submit a request to the California Secretary of State's Sacramento office either in person (drop off) or by mail using the Business Entities Records – Order Form (PDF).
Verify Your Certificate
For certificates generated after April 7, 2022 for Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, and Limited Partnerships, you may utilize the Certification Verification tool to verify the validity of the certificate or certified copy.
Report a Scam
If you received a misleading solicitation or scam, report it to the California Secretary of State's Business Programs Division as well as the California Attorney General.
1. Contact the Business Programs Division. Use the contact form let us know about the misleading/fraudulent solicitation.
2. File a Consumer Complaint Against Business/Corporation with the California Attorney General. Businesses should submit a written complaint along with the entire solicitation (including the solicitation letter, the outer and return envelopes, and all related documents received) to the California Attorney General, Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, California 94244–2550.
Fraudulent Certificate of Status Example 1
Fraudulent Certificate of Status Example 2
Click to view a Certificate example issued by California Secretary of State
** Disclaimer: Although every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained on the bizfile Online portal is accurate, the California Secretary of State's office is not responsible for any loss, consequence, or damage resulting directly or indirectly from reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of the information that is provided. All such information is provided "as is."
