UK Gov Suspicious Activity Form

• New form to report unauthorized director appointments, addresses, other activities.
• Company name has been changed without permission, your address has been used without your permission (as company’s registered office or officer’s service address).
• People involved in company are in dispute (such as directors, shareholders or PSCs).
• A link to the form was added to the Companies House advice on fraud protection.

Known Fraud, Scams

• Details of known fraud, scams including calls claiming to be from companies house
  regarding late filing penalty, requests for authentication code and directors' details.
• Emails claiming to be from companies house investigations, enforcement services.
• Scam document order emails, online filing submission emails, eReminder requests.
• Also aware of bogus requests by email asking to verify companies house password.
• Letters asking for payment from prosecuting solicitors or for company registration.
• Also suspicious job vacancies, pension scams, company register payment requests.
• Contact details are provided for reporting any suspicious letters, emails, phone calls.

Advice to Protect from Fraud

• Register for online filing with companies house, keep your authentication code safe.
• Sign up to PROOF scheme to protect from unauthorized change to company records.
• Use follow service which is part of free Companies House Service (CHS) for emailed alerts of company transactions, allows for tracking of changes in company activities.
• Choose correct correspondence address to appear on public record, does not need
  to be home address, third party service providers, agents provide registered office.
• Check website addresses (URL) in suspicious emails are genuine and is not a scam.
• Be aware of scam emails, calls and report any incidents of fraud and cyber crime.

Reporting

• Action Fraud is the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre for the police.
• Insolvency service can investigate limited companies for serious corporate abuse.
• Companies house can remove companies from the register, prosecute directors.