Prohibited acts.

A broker may not do any of the following:

(1) Assess, collect, or solicit an advance fee from a business to provide services as a broker. However, this subsection does not preclude a broker from soliciting a business to pay for, or preclude a business from paying for, actual services necessary to apply for a commercial financing transaction, including, but not limited to, a credit check or an appraisal of security, if such payment is made by check or money order payable to a party independent of the broker.

(2) Make or use any false or misleading representation or omit any material fact in the offer or sale of the services of a broker or engage, directly or indirectly, in any act that operates or would operate as fraud or deception upon any person in connection with the offer or sale of the services of a broker, notwithstanding the absence of reliance by the business.

(3) Make or use any false or deceptive representation in its business dealings.

(4) Offer the services of a broker in any advertisement without disclosing the actual address and telephone number of the business of the broker and the address and telephone number of any forwarding service the broker may use, if any.