Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has joined his National Association of Secretaries of State colleagues in a new education effort, #BizSchemeSOS. The goal is to encourage the public, business owners and future entrepreneurs to first check with their secretary of state to avoid business schemes and other fraudulent practices or activities. Also, individuals can find up-to-date information on business services laws, filings and other requirements on the Iowa secretary of state’s website and through Twitter updates at #BizSchemeSOS. “My office is the small business portal for the State of Iowa,” Pate said in a news release. “Unfortunately, there are bad actors out there who target small businesses with fraudulent information. I am encouraging Iowans to not fall victim to unnecessary fees or scare tactics. We are here to help. You can avoid scams by first checking with my office.” For questions on any of the online resources or to report suspicious business-related information, contact the Iowa secretary of state’s office at 515-281-5204 or email sos@sos.iowa.gov.