CSLB Warns of Scam Targeting Contractors and Other Businesses

The California Contractors State License Board issued an industry bulletin today warning of fraudulent notices being sent to California contractors from the “California Labor Compliance Bureau”:

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) wants its licensees to be aware of a warning issued this week by the California State Board of Equalization (BOE).

Licensees are urged to be wary of misleading business solicitations from companies that mimic official correspondence from a government agency.

BOE says businesses have informed the board of notices they have received from the “California Labor Compliance Bureau,” requesting immediate payment of a “processing fee” of $275. The “California Labor Compliance Bureau” is not a government agency. The notices use public information, such as BOE account numbers and industry codes, which give them the appearance of official correspondence.

The “processing fee” is purportedly for labor-related notices that California employers are required to post at their business premises informing employees of their legal rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The notices in question are available free of charge on the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) website.

BOE is not affiliated with the California Labor Compliance Bureau. BOE Correspondence always features the BOE’s title and/or logo and contains contact information.  If you receive a notice and question whether it is official BOE correspondence, you should contact your local BOE office or contact the BOE’s Information Call Center at 800-400-7115.

The NLRB can assist licensees with questions regarding required notices at 202-273-0064.

A bit of background:  The fraudulent notices are being sent in the wake of new federal regulations from the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) which require private sector employers to post a notice entitled “Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act.”  The regulations, which originally required that private sector employers post the notice by November 14th, 2011, was recently extended so that private sector employers are now required to post the notice by January 31, 2012.  The notice can be obtained free of charge from the NLRB.