TX Attorney General warns of companies misleading consumers

The Texas Attorney General's office warned consumers Tuesday to beware of companies that it said may be appearing as they are government agencies.

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Attorney General's office warned consumers Tuesday to beware of companies that it said may be appearing as they are government agencies.

According to the press release from the AG's office, it has received complaints against Texas UCC Statement Services. The AG's office said that company has recently been mailing consumers a solicitation that asks consumers to pay $90 to obtain a form that they are unlikely to need and is available from the Texas Secretary of State for a much smaller fee.

According to the AG's office, "the company’s mailer is designed to mislead Texans to believe that it was sent by a government agency and that the $90 is already due. The solicitation discloses that Texas UCC Statement Services is not a government agency, but that disclosure is not clear and conspicuous and the net impression is misleading."

The Attorney General's office said Tuesday it has recently seen several companies using "similar deceptive solicitation tactics."

The office said it wants consumers to report when they get suspicious mailers that appear like they may be from an official governmental body and that lead consumers to believe they must contact the company and pay a fee.

Consumers can report suspected fraud to the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling toll-free 1-800-621-0508 or by filing an online complaint.

The AG's office also has a site where consumers can also read more about common scams and how to spot, avoid, and report them.