STOP criminals from hijacking YOUR FL business on Sunbiz​.​org

STOP criminals from hijacking YOUR FL business on Sunbiz​.​org

Started
March 16, 2023
Signatures: 87Next Goal: 100
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Why this petition matters

Started by Russ L’Hommedieu

Did you know anyone can steal any business in Florida with almost no fear of prosecution? You trust Sunbiz.org to protect your business registration information but, anyone with a computer can steal your Florida business . . . and likely get away with it.

Support FL State Rep Fiona McFarland's bill, HB 909 & State Sen. Erin Grall's bill (SB 948) which would authorize the Department of State, to implement password-protected systems, allow the agency to verify credentials, and allows the department to require verification of identities before anyone can change critical business information on Sunbiz.org.

Excerpt from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune 

"Sarasota State Rep. Fiona McFarland has filed a bill in the Florida House aimed at preventing the misuse of the state's insecure public record-keeping system for businesses.

McFarland, R-Sarasota, said she first learned about how the state's public business records filing database has been abused after a Herald-Tribune investigation last year that highlighted the use of Sunbiz.org to improperly assert control over Florida businesses.

She has since learned of two other Sarasota businesses that had their Sunbiz records changed for fraudulent purposes.

"You should have an expectation that a government database that is managed online is secure," she said.

The Division of Corporations falls under Florida's Department of State and has an easily searchable database of companies registered in the Sunshine State. Companies file annual reports that often include principals, registered agents and an address that appear on Sunbiz.org. That information can be readily changed.

"The Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations is an administrative filing agency, and as such all documents submitted to and filed by this office are accepted at face value," the agency's website reads. "Any document meeting the stipulated statutory filing requirements and accompanied by the required filing or processing fee(s) is accepted."

While it is a felony to file fraudulent paperwork with the Division of Corporations, the division doesn't actually check to see if the information filed or changed is accurate.

McFarland said she went online to see how hard it was to change the records maintained by Sunbiz a few weeks ago as she was preparing to file a bill to prevent the misuse of the database.

McFarland said she was able to change the registered agent, the company officials, the phone number and the address of a local restaurant company, but stopped short of sending the request to the Division of Corporations.

"I was one click away," she said.

She said if she's heard of three of her constituents having this problem in just the past six months, she's sure it's happening in other areas of the state as well.

McFarland's bill would allow the Department of State to implement passwords and verify the identity of people submitting documents to the state database.



Read full article here

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Signatures: 87Next Goal: 100
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