Two scams targeting Mainers prompted a warning from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ office Friday.
One scam has been soliciting false refunds from notaries and marriage officiants, Bellows said in a written statement Friday afternoon.
In another, scammers present themselves as a state government entity and charge corporations and nonprofits a fee to submit an annual form, Bellows said.
Scams are on the rise in Maine; over 1,000 scams resembling government entities were reported in the state last year, up from 873 in 2023 and 735 in 2022.
Multiple notaries and marriage officiants have reported scammers sending an apparent overpayment and then requesting a refund to make up the difference, Bellows said. But after the excess funds are refunded, the initial payment disappears — via a check bouncing or a digital payment being withdrawn — leaving the victim short the amount they refunded.
Mainers in those industries who receive overpayments should “be vigilant,” Bellows said.
“Refuse the initial payment and ask that they resend it in the proper amount or wait for the payment to clear before any refund is sent,” Bellows said.
The other scam, targeting nonprofits and businesses, has been reported by at least one Maine business recently, Bellows said. It was also the subject of a previous warning from her office in December.
Scammers offered to file annual reports on the business’s behalf for $210, Bellows said, and “the misleading solicitation form” looks similar to a legitimate state government report form.
However, that form — from the Division of Corporations, UCC & Commissions — is never mailed out, Bellows said, and is instead found online.
“Scammers can be sophisticated and are really good at what they do,” Bellows said. “They are counting on victims to miss the signs that it is not a legitimate request and to not ask questions.”
Bellows recommends Mainers examine mail, emails and text messages closely if they are purportedly coming from a government entity, “especially if they are asking for money or personal information.” If you’re unsure whether a message is legitimate, contact the government entity in question directly, Bellows said.
