We have recently been made aware of scammers sending mail to our Tennessee (TN) and Ohio (OH) customers using a document that implies the mailer is from the TN UCC Statement Service or OH Secretary of State. These scam mail pieces are not affiliated with Republic Finance or any loan you have made with Republic Finance.
These scam mailers will falsely imply that you need to obtain a copy of the UCC-1 Financing Statement filed in relation to your loan for a fee. In TN, this scam mail is most commonly labeled as a “Tennessee UCC Statement Request Form,” and in OH it is mostly commonly labeled as a “Ohio UCC Statement Request Form.” In both states, the scam mailer will attempt to get you to pay a fee between $90.00-$107.00 for a copy of the UCC-1 Financing Statement in relation to your loan with Republic Finance. Except for your own personal records, you generally do not need a copy of this document.
Customers that would like a copy of the UCC-1 Financing Statements filed by Republic Finance can request a free copy from their local Republic Finance branch. Alternatively, TN customers can request a copy directly from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office for a fee of $15.00; and OH customers can request a free copy from the OH Secretary of State at https://ucc.ohiosos.gov.
Republic Finance encourages anyone who has received any mail related to UCC-1 Financing Statements to reach out to your Secretary of State with any questions and to verify its authenticity before paying any fees. If you have any questions regarding the UCC-1 Financing Statement filed in relation to your loan with Republic Finance, please reach out to your local branch.
Tennessee: You may report suspicious UCC-1 Financing Statement mail received to the Tennessee Division of Business by phone at 615-741-2286 or email at TNSOS.CERT@tn.gov; or the Tennessee Attorney General’s office by phone at 615-741-3491 or online, www.tn.gov/content/tn/attorneygeneral/working-for-tennessee/consumer/file-a-complaint.html.
Ohio: You may report suspicious UCC-1 Financing Statement mail received to the Secretary of State at business@OhioSoS.gov or by phone at 877-767-3453 (877-SOS-FILE); or the Ohio Attorney General’s office.