(Des Moines, IA) -- The Iowa Attorney General's Office is warning about bogus government mailers. The A-G's Office says letters and postcards appear to be from government agencies, but are actually deceptive sales pitches.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is urging Iowans who receive the mailings to read the fine print, and contact government agencies if you are unsure the mailings are legitimate.
Iowa recently sued two out-of-state firms of sending deceptive mail to Iowans in an attempt to sell services.
In one case, the state sued Centurion Filing Services and Dean G. Marshlack on Nov. 30, alleging that the St. Petersburg, Fla., company violated the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.
According to the lawsuit, Centurion — using the name “IA Certificate Service” and a Des Moines address from a UPS Store — sent out at least 7,170 mailers to Iowa business owners. The letters looked like invoices and stated that “your articles have been filed with the secretary of state and are complete,” and instructed businesses to order a “Iowa Certificate of Existence” for $67.50.
However, business certificates of existence are available directly from the Iowa Secretary of State for only $5.
The Iowa A-G's Office says in another case, a Georgia marketing operation has been ordered to stop sending mailers targeting older Iowans. The operation also agreed to pay the state of Iowa $40,000 and change its practices.
Miller’s office reached a consent judgment in December with Direct Mail Processing, LLC, and Rehg Data Assets, Inc., both of Marietta, Ga.
The operation produced mailers for insurance agents. One mailer stated: “You may qualify for a state-regulated program to pay for final expenses. … This benefit will pay for 100% of all funeral expenses up to $35,000. This payment is tax-free for Iowa residents.” Another read, “As a resident of Iowa, you are entitled to more benefits not provided by government funds.”