BAINGATE: So I checked the Massachusetts Business Filings on Bain/Romney

[Sheepshank]

13. I currently work in a gov't office that regularly uses this public info.

98% of the population doesn't check out the details of whom they are doing business with until there is a legal or financial need. Often by then its too late to opt out of some sort of agreement or contract. Thousands of businesses carry on their activities without a license of any sort. Recently I was involved with two sting operations for companies that was bilking elderly people out of state with financial investment/internet scams. No license from the State Department of Finance, no registration of the business with the Secretary of State and no local business license.

I had congratulated two of the elderly people I spoke with, for checking up on the company and encouraged them to do this every time. One sweet, kind, gentle old soul could not be disuaded from investing with them. I'm not sure why she called me in the first place, but for every issue I raised, she said they had come up with a 'good' reason for not filing the proper paper work. At that point, the company had not yet been charged, and I had to be careful not to outright state I though they were conducting illegal activites. But they had her so convinced, no amount of gentle prodding (and screaming in my mind) was working. The investment companies are scammers....warn all the retired people you know, there is ALWAYS some type of filings and registration required for people taking your money.

The most basic of these frequent scammer are financial planners/investors and believe it or not, building contractors. It's not until a shoddy job is done that they find out the "contractor" was never licensed...or had a license revoke.