AUGUSTA — The Maine Secretary of State’s Office issued a warning Wednesday to Maine businesses about mailings from a fictitious company called Maine Council for Corporations offering document preparation services for a fee.

According to the office, a number of Maine business have received the mailings, which offer to compile annual corporate records.

“Please be advised that the form provided by the Maine Council for Corporations is not a document prescribed or recognized by the Department of the Secretary of State. This is not being sent on behalf of the Department of the Secretary of State, and the records described are not required to be filed with the Secretary of State,” according to the warning from the department.

One official-looking document in the mailing includes an offer to prepare “corporate consent records in lieu of meeting minutes” for a fee of $125.

“The form provided in this mailing is not an official annual report and will not be accepted as an annual report if submitted to the Secretary of State’s Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions,” according to the state’s warning. “Additionally, the preparation of these records does not satisfy the requirements to file the annual report with the Secretary of State.”

The Secretary of State’s warning suggested business owners obtain advice from a lawyer or business adviser, or contact the Maine Division of Corporations at 207-624-7752 for information about corporate annual reports and other business entity filing requirements under Maine law.