Nevada AG fines Carson City company for deceptive practices
Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced today that a settlement agreement has been reached with Registered Agent, Inc. regarding advertisements sent by mail to corporations in order to deceptively change registered agents.
The State of Nevada has alleged that Registered Agent, Inc., a company based in Carson City, mailed deceptive and misleading advertisements which contained official Secretary of State corporation forms. As a result corporations were misled into believing that the letters were sent by their existing registered agents. In truth, by filling out the forms and paying the requested fees, these corporations unintentionally changed their corporate registered agent to Registered Agent, Inc.
“My office is here to deter future misconduct and to help create a fair market place that simultaneously protects consumers and honest businesses,” said Masto. “This is the latest example of our ongoing effort to ensure businesses and consumers are not taken advantage of.”
As a result of the settlement, Registered Agent, Inc. has agreed to refund all monies paid by those corporations identified by the Nevada Attorney General and to pay a $2,500 fine. In addition, Registered Agent, Inc. has agreed to include notices in a clear and distinct format indicating that the letter is a solicitation to corporations to change the corporation’s registered agent.
Tips from the Attorney General to avoid falling victim of deceptive trade:
- Carefully read any advertisement, especially when forms are attached, to make sure that you understand with whom you are dealing and that you intend to take the action that filing the forms will cause.
- Thoroughly review all information included in any form to assure that you are not disclosing private personal information to someone you do not know and trust.