LEGAL NEWSLINE

PHOENIX (Legal Newsline) - Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne warned Arizona small businesses and consumers Tuesday about solicitations that appear to be official notifications from a government agency.

Horne issued the warning after receiving several calls from individuals who received the official-looking mailers. The mailers are being sent out by the Labor Standards Compliance Office, which is not affiliated in any way with the government. The entity is actually a private non-governmental business.

The mailers request a fee of approximately $295 from consumers in return for providing up-to-date notices for the small businesses to post to comply with the federal government and the state of Arizona.

Horne's office said that small businesses are not required to purchase the posters and should be wary of "Final Notice" and "Due Now" claims listed on the mailer.

Earlier this year, Horne warned consumers about other scams going on in Arizona, including medical alert device and charity scams.

In August, Horne issued a warning about an operation in which seniors are offered free medical alert systems and are then frightened into sharing their personal information. In May, Horne warned consumers about charity scams related to the deaths of a Phoenix firefighter and a Phoenix police officer.

"It is a constant battle to stay one step ahead of these schemes, especially when scam artists often operate outside the country, out of reach of law enforcement," Horne said. "Consumer education is the best defense we have against these types of scams."