Attorney General T.J. Donovan today announced a settlement with Florida-based Centurion Filing Services, LLC (Centurion), for sending misleading mailings to Vermont businesses. Attorney General Donovan and Secretary of State Jim Condos previously issued a warning to Vermont businesses that Centurion, calling itself VT Certificate Service, was sending requests for payment for a “Certificate of Good Standing” to businesses, disguised to look like an official invoice from the State. The settlement bans Centurion from doing business in Vermont. It also requires Centurion to pay a $20,000 penalty to the State and refund the Vermont businesses it misled.
In March 2021, Attorney General Donovan sent a cease-and-desist letter to Centurion warning them of consequences of their deceptive mailings. Later that month, Attorney General Donovan and Secretary Condos together issued a warning to Vermont businesses to beware of the company and the deceptive mailings. Centurion, however, continued to send mailings to Vermonters and the Attorney General’s Office investigated, resulting in today’s settlement.
Any Vermont business that paid Centurion for these services is entitled to a full refund. To request a refund, contact the Attorney General’s Office by August 16, 2022. Requests can be made by emailing AGO.VTCertificateSettlement@vermont.gov or calling the Consumer Assistance Program at 1-800-649-2424.
A copy of the settlement is available here.