Is Form 4022 Real or Fake? What You Should Know
You received a letter in the mail labelled ‘Form 4022’, claiming to be from the U.S Business Regulations Department? There’s no need to panic. It’s a fake non-existing form, not from the U.S tax system.
The Scammers who’ve sent out this form aim to use threatening tactics of fake $500 daily penalty and 2 years imprisonment to make you pay a bogus $117 service fee.
This article reveals why it’s a scam.
A Close Look at Form 4022
The form states ‘Mandatory Beneficial Ownership Reporting’. Requests for the company’s EIN, owner information and Beneficial information.
Then further states the information is mandatory and cost $117.00. If not filed would fine $500 each day up to $10,000 and/or face 2 years of Imprisonment.
Image below shows what the form looks like –
Is The Form 4022 Fake?
Yes, it’s a fake form. It’s from scammers attempting to defraud unsuspecting small business owners. They pose as Business Regulations Department to trick people into giving up their money and business info.
The scammer then use the info you give to open new credit accounts. So, they’re not just taking your money, they’re stealing your identity too.
Form 4022 scam began when the Corporate Transparency Act was passed into law. This law says that every business, no matter its size, has to tell the government who’s really running things. Whether it’s the top boss or someone who owns a big part of the company, they all need to be listed.
The deadline for this is January 1, 2025, and it doesn’t cost anything to do it. However scammers send fake letters that look more like official tax form from the IRS to deceive small business owners.
Reports and Reviews of Form 4022 Scam
Lots of people are talking about receiving this letter on their mail box on popular platforms like ScamPulse. The main targets of this scam are people living in United States and Canada.
Here’s some of the reports as culled from ScamPulse
I tried calling the number on the paper and it just went to a dead line. it felt so legit, but also, they’re just targeting single person LLC… how are they getting our information!!
Yep, this is the exact scam I got. I was able to report this with the ftc through that link so thanks for sharing!
received the exact form yesterday. I am glad I saw your post. The heifers gave me a return envelope with the address: 1032 15th St NW #364 Washington DC 2005-1502. Again, thank you for posting this because I’ve been looking for a number to call to ask for more information about it. I don’t have money to just give.
What To Do If You Receive
There are just two actions you need to take. The first is; Ignore and trash the letter. While the second and most important action is to inform your friends and family. By doing the later, you’d help prevent people from being a victim of this scam.
End Note
There is no real government department under Business Regulations Department. If you are receiving these letters, don’t respond with any payment! The Filing Requirement is legit but as per their own website, there is no fee and should be filed electronically
If you get any strange messages or think you’re being scammed, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov. Your report can help stop scams.
Similar Scam: DPD Postman Scam
