"$92.25. TIME SENSITIVE. Follow instructions exactly."
That was the box in the middle of the letter. Around it sat a document ID number, a field marked "OMB No.," and a QR code. It looked like the state sent it.
"Congratulations on registering your business," it opened. The ask was a Certificate of Good Standing.
She had filed her LLC three weeks earlier. A funder had already asked whether she was "in good standing with the state." So the letter didn't feel random. It felt like the next step. She had her card out before she noticed the tiny line at the bottom.
Composite story. The pattern is real, and it's in the mail right now.
On October 3, 2026, STL.News reported on a Missouri mailer titled "2026 – Missouri Compliance Satisfactory Request." It asked for $92.25 for a certificate the Missouri Secretary of State issues for $10. The letter carried the business's real name, address, and state file number, all pulled from public filing records. The return address was a UPS Store mailbox.
It isn't one state. In January, Pennsylvania's Department of State flagged a mailer called "2026 Additional Business Documents Needed – Required by Law." It pitched an EIN for $185, labor law posters for $120, and a "Certificate of Status" for $89.95. The EIN is free from the IRS. The posters are free from the labor department. Pennsylvania doesn't even issue a "Certificate of Status." Montana's Secretary of State warned about the same title this year, with "REQUIRED BY LAW" in red ink, threats of fines as high as $25,000, and the advertising disclaimer printed in nearly unreadable type. Montana sent the sender a cease-and-desist letter.
Kentucky's Secretary of State saw letters asking $175 to file an annual report that costs $15. That total happens to match the $175 limited liability entity tax most Kentucky owners already pay, so it looks familiar. Tennessee warned about an official-looking renewal mailer in January.
And in April 2026, Pennsylvania's Attorney General announced a $40,000 restitution settlement with a Florida company accused of sending letters that looked like they came from the state. It charged $102.50 for a $40 certificate, nearly 2,000 owners paid, and not all of them got the certificate. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.
New owners get hit hardest. Your filing is public the day it's approved, and these letters arrive while you're still figuring out what's required. If you're applying for funding, a "good standing" letter lands right when a lender is asking for one.
Red flags
These track the Pennsylvania Department of State, Montana Secretary of State, and Kentucky Secretary of State warnings:
- It looks like a government form (an ID number, an "OMB No." Box, official-sounding headings) but the payment goes to a private company or a mailbox address.
- "Required by law," "time sensitive," a "respond by" date, or fines in the thousands.
- It congratulates you on your new registration and says you have "one step left."
- It bundles things that are free or cheap direct: an EIN (free from the IRS), labor posters (usually free from the state and federal labor departments), or a certificate the state sells for $10 to $40.
- Fine print saying it's a solicitation, an advertisement, or not affiliated with any government agency.
- A certificate name your state doesn't actually issue.
What to do
- Don't pay from the letter. Type your Secretary of State's website into the browser yourself and look up your business. It shows whether your annual report is filed and what a certificate really costs.
- Need a certificate for a loan? Order it straight from the state when the lender asks. Pennsylvania notes lenders usually want one dated close to when they need it, so buying one early can be wasted money anyway.
- Get your EIN only at IRS.gov. There is no fee.
- Already paid? Call your card company or bank and dispute the charge. Kentucky's Secretary of State suggests a bank dispute and a report to local law enforcement if you paid for a service you never got.
- Report it to your Secretary of State and your state Attorney General (find yours at naag.org), and at ReportFraud.FTC.gov. Post it on BBB Scam Tracker so the next owner can search it.
She didn't pay the $92.25. She went to the state site, saw the $10 fee, and ordered the certificate the day her funder asked for it.
The state already has your address. Your state doesn't need a red stamp and a QR code to bill you.
Sources:
- STL.News, Missouri Businesses Warned About $92 Certificate Mailer (Oct. 3, 2026)
- Missouri Secretary of State, About the Corporations Division ($10 certificate)
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Business and Charities Scams
- Montana Secretary of State, deceptive mailing warning
- Kentucky Secretary of State, Annual Reports ($15 fee)
- Tennessee Secretary of State, warning on third-party solicitors (Jan. 12, 2026)
- Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, settlement announcement (Apr. 23, 2026)
- FTC, Scams and Your Small Business