According to California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, companies are sending solicitation letters to California businesses.

These letters are encouraging the corporations to comply with the California Corporations Code by paying a fee and submitting a form. These solicitations appear similar to the secretary of state statement of information form, and contain official-looking seals and quote specific statutes or other laws.

These forms imply that failure to return them and pay the requested fee may place corporations in legal jeopardy, or might cause filings with the California Secretary of State to be in default or noncompliant status.

Bowen's office warns that these solicitations are not being made by her office or on behalf of any governmental entity. "Although a business entity can use an intermediary to submit filings and fees to our office, no business is required to go through another company in order to file its documents with the Secretary of State's office," the memorandum says.

Statement of Information forms and instructions are available on the California secretary of state's Web site.

The fee for filing the statement is $25 for California stock and foreign corporations and $20 for California nonprofit corporations and all limited liability companies.

Corporations can submit their forms by mail to Secretary of State, Statement of Information Unit, P.O. Box 944230, Sacramento, California 94244-2300, in person at 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, California, 95814.

Corporations using a credit card can file at https://businessfilings.sos.ca.gov/.

Bowen is asking California businesses that receive fraudulent solicitation letters to send written complaints to the California Attorney General's office, Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, CA 94244-2250. She asks that the complaints include the solicitation letter, the outer and return envelopes and all related documents).

A complaint form can be completed online and printed to mail at www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php.