CALAIS – Business owners, beware!
Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry, is warning business owners of a misleading mailing that offers for sale labor law posters that already are available free of charge from state and federal agencies.
Now that the New Year has begun, several Maine business owners have reported receiving mailings suggesting they purchase the posters, which businesses are required to post for the benefit of their employees.
“It is my understanding that the order forms look as if they may have been issued by a state agency,” Raye said in a prepared release. “I am concerned that unsuspecting small business owners seeking to comply with state and federal law could fall victim to needless expense by purchasing these posters to display at their businesses.
The Attorney General’s Office has said that selling the posters is not against the law, but Raye said he found the practice objectionable. “If this despicable practice is legal, then we would look at changing the law to address situations like this,” he said. “Maine’s hardworking small-business people have enough hurdles to success without being preyed upon by those seeking a fast buck.”
Scams tend to abound and last year was no exception.
In November, Western Union Financial Services warned customers about fraudulent telemarketers who increasingly required consumers to wire money because it was harder to trace. According to The Associated Press, the scam tricked consumers into wiring money because of sweepstakes, lotteries, advance loan fees and other practices. Although Western Union wasn’t accused of any wrongdoing, it agreed to pay $8.1 million toward a national consumer awareness program.
Another scam last year was a telephone call that indicated the recipient had won a huge prize. To get the prize, the unsuspecting consumer had to wire money to a company.
Another scam that hit Maine last October involved fuel economy. Consumers were told they could cut down on their gasoline bills by purchasing special oil and gas additives.
And of course there was the annual Nigerian scammer last year.
In May 2005, a Nigerian scammer struck Down East, trying to get unsuspecting people to forward packages to him. The victims found out later that the packages had been charged to their accounts.
Raye urged small businesses needing to obtain state and federal law posters to contact the Maine Department of Labor at (800) 872-3838.
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