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Thursday, 25 October, 2007 11:47 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Suckers, Labor Law
Posters, and Shysters
AmericaJR.com
uncovers a scam facing small business owners nationwide
PHOTO
CREDIT: DUMDUMPOPS.COM
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PHOTO
CREDIT: DUMDUMPOPS.COM
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Gee, you
can learn so much from the Internet. Of course, not all of it is
true, but it saves the trip to the library and actually opening
up a book.
I was just
going to open with, P.T. Barnum said, "There's a sucker born
every minute!", but I just read on the net that David Hannum
first said it. Hmmmmm.....well, at any rate, both agree suckers
abound and are here to stay and are easy prey for shysters like
Compliance Documents, LLC out of either Deer Park, NY or Norwalk,
CT.
The U.S.
Department of Labor requires all businesses display posters with
the minimum wage and other information in plain view for the benefit
of employees. These posters are free of charge and can be downloaded
from the Department's website, or mailed to you.
Compliance
Documents, LLC, after saying they will send them to you free of
charge, mails you an invoice for $77.90. I called the U.S. Department
of Labor about this scam, and they told me, "It's not something
we address." Okay, then. Great job looking out for the people.
So then
I called the Detroit office of the F.B.I. and
the nice man they funneled my call to said he would
pass on the information I gave him about Compliance
Documents, LLC to the proper people who will decide
whether to investigate Compliance's shell game. He
also took down my information, so maybe they will
investigate me instead.....
He told
me he was not sure if it was illegal or merely
unethical, but that he would pass it on. I can tell
you as a person who studied ethics in law school, it
is highly unethical to make money by bamboozling naive
souls.
I would
say as a good rule that anyone who says they
will help you deal with the government, unless they
are a lawyer, who is bound by oath to be ethical,
should be told to take a hike to Mt. Fuji. Lawyers
are also officers of the court system, both federal
and state. I know there are some shysters among us,
but at least we are accountable, and can lose our
license and our livelihood if we treat you like a
sucker.
In short,
if you need any documents from the
government, get them from the government. If you have
any questions, ask a lawyer or find the answers
yourself. Check the Better Business Bureau whenever
you contemplate doing business with a non-governmental
entity purporting to provide a service.
And, last but not least, be careful about those
Tootsie Roll centers if you have loose fillings!
Truly,
Mike Wrathell, Esq. (State Bar of Michigan)
For
more details on this scam, visit:
http://www.wweek.com/editorial/3339/9351/
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/251/RipOff0251727.htm
To
investigate a business or a charity, visit the Better
Business Bureau.
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