A Florida company and businessman have been ordered to repay nearly $80,000 in fraudulent fees it collected from Iowa businesses and charities. In November 2020, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office sued Centurian Filing Services and its owner, Dean Marshlack, for sending deceptive mailers under the name IA Certificate Service, which claimed recipients needed to order an “Iowa Certificate of Existence” for $67.50. Attorney General, Tom Miller, notes these documents do in fact exist; however, they can be obtained from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office for only $5. The agreement requires Centurion to refund $62.50 for each of the 1,263 transactions it completed in Iowa, totaling $78,900. These refunds will be returned directly to affected organizations beginning in March. Miller recommends Iowa businesses and non-profits closely review any documents appearing to originate from a government entity and examine all invoices to ensure their legitimacy.
