Colorado Secretary of State Targets Fraudulent Business Entities
Published: September 14, 2026, 5:21 PM
In a major crackdown, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has identified 12,693 fraudulent business entities over the past month since the implementation of house bill HB26-1088. This legislation aims to eliminate fraudulent business networks in the state. Since February 2023, a total of 20,500 entities have been marked as fraudulent.
Despite this identification, many of these entities remain listed as active businesses. Additionally, 10,214 listings were removed due to unpaid filing fees, signaling potential fraud.
Legislative Changes
The new law, effective August 12, allows the secretary to take action against entities that list already identified fraudulent businesses as their registered agent. Griswold emphasized that Colorado could become a national leader in combating business fraud through these enhanced measures.
“I was proud to champion this first-in-the-nation law to supercharge our fight against business fraud,” Griswold stated.
Her office has previously supported measures to address business crime, including the 2022 “Business Filing Address and Name Fraud” statute, which established a process for filing complaints against fraudulent businesses.
Methods of Fraud
Griswold’s office has revealed concerning tactics employed by fraudsters, such as using phony corporations to steal business information and filing false registries to mislead consumers. These entities often register as agents for bogus ventures, complicating efforts to trace and address the fraud.
Before the implementation of the new laws, the secretary had limited capacity to alert the public to ongoing investigations and fraud complaints. The office has also documented patterns of entities filing with no valid payment, leaving consumers misled and entities in a limbo state.
As efforts continue, Griswold’s office is committed to protecting the integrity of Colorado’s business environment and safeguarding consumers from fraudulent practices.
