The Arizona Corporation Commission is implementing new policies to combat a growing business application fraud problem affecting homeowners across the state.
The Let ABC15 Know Team started looking into the issue after a Valley homeowner, Glenn G., began receiving mail at his home address for a business he had no connection to.
"Well, I got this mail that was uh, addressed to my address and it had this company's name on it, that I didn't know anything about," Glenn G. said.
Glenn is not alone. After his story aired, other viewers — including Jennifer from Glendale and Eloise of Prescott — reported dealing with the same problem.
Tanya Gibson, Director of Corporations Division, at the Arizona Corporation Commission, said the pattern has become one of the agency's most frequently reported issues.
"One of the most common trends these days, we get notifications from customers saying, I've received mail in this business's name, and I'm not associated with that business," Gibson said.
The ACC has not yet determined exactly what the bad actors are attempting to accomplish, but Gibson said investigators have a leading theory.
"We haven't quite figured out what the bad actors are doing. We're suspecting that they just need a valid address to then go and get a bank account and conduct whatever fraudulent activity," Gibson said.
Gibson said the ACC is adding new policies to crack down on LLC fraud, including a new ID verification process online. In person, two forms of ID will now be required to file for a business.
"If it's verified, meaning the name matches the address, you will be allowed to file; if it doesn't match, then you won't be allowed to file," Gibson said.
The goal, Gibson said, is to make the process as difficult as possible for those attempting to abuse it.
"We're intending to throw as many hurdles as we can in the bad actors' path, so they can either one do not want to do it, or they'll think twice about it," Gibson said.
If this happens to you, Gibson said to file a complaint with the ACC. The agency is required by law to send notice to the address on file — even if that address belongs to the person filing the complaint.
"We understand we're sending it to the person who is complaining. It doesn't matter; we just have to show that we have sent notice," Gibson said.
If you need to file a complaint, follow these steps:
Go to the Arizona Corporation Commission website; you can also click here.
The LLC that was using Glenn's home address has since been dissolved, according to the ACC's website. Glenn urged other homeowners to stay vigilant.
"People really need to pay attention to their mail and think something is just junk mail and throw it away, but look at the names on there and see if it's addressed to you," Glenn G. said.
The new policy changes will be effective in July 2026.
