Reporting scams pretending to be from Companies House

There’s a separate process if you want to:

• complain about a limited company
• protect your company from fraud and scams
• report a company using your personal details without your permission

Scam telephone calls

We’ll never call you to ask for secure information like:like your:

• passwords
• bank details
• authentication code
• details of directors or company officers

If you receive a suspicious call

If anyone calls you claiming to be from Companies House and asking for this information:

• do not give out your information
• try to get a return telephone number
• contact us immediately on 0303 1234 500

ExamplesRegistration of known phone scamsdocuments

AScammers callerhave claimscalled people who have recently registered a company. They claim to be calling from the Companies House “registrationin department”Cardiff or from the ‘registration department’ which does not exist. They ask for contact details toso they can send out “registration‘registration documents”.documents’.

A

Late callerfiling askspenalty youpayment phone call

Scammers have called to ask companies pay a late filing penalty over the phone.telephone. TheyThe saycaller says they’ll accept a payment of £5 by credit or debit to place a hold on any further action being taken.

AWe callerwill tellsnot call you for immediate payment of a late filing penalty. We will not ask you for money to place a hold on further action.

Asking for your authentication code over the phone

We’ll never ask you what your authentication code is over the phone. Do not give out this information.

Asking for directors’ details over the phone

People claiming to be from Companies House have called companies and asked for details of their company’s directors.

After being advised there’s a “discrepancy with the information held on the register”register”, andthe caller asks for information such as full dates of birth for directors.

Scam emails

DeceptiveWe’ll ornever fraudulentask emailsyou oftenfor include:

• falsethis and confusing information
• spelling orover grammaticalthe errors
• pressurephone.

  Scam toemails

  You actmay quickly

• demandsreceive forscam payment
• formattingemails andthat logosclaim to makebe it look like they’re from Companies House
• pressureHouse.

  They tomight openhave an attachmentattachment, orsuch link,as ora toWord providedocument. anThey authenticationmight code

Ifask you getto enter an emailauthorisation claimingcode toor beclick froma Companies House

link.

Even if an email seems legitimate: 

• check the sender - real emails from Companies House will come from an email address ending “.gov.uk”‘.gov.uk’
• hover over links to check where theythey’re gosending you - if the URL looks different to what you were expecting, do not click the link

If you get a suspicious email:

• report it to us immediately at phishing@companieshouse.gov.uk
• do not share any personal information
• doinformation, notclick open any links or open any attachments
• delete the email from all mailboxes, including your deleted items

ExamplesIdentity verification, Know Your Customer, Know Your Business scam email

These emails ask you to complete a “Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) verification”.

The sender of knownthe email scamsmay be: “companies.house@notification.service.gov.uk.en-uk.website”.

Scam emails about a complaint related your company

EmailSeveral fromscam “Robinemails Lawrence”claim askingto be notifying you of a complaint related to scanyour company.

The emails may give a reference number or submission number for the attachedcomplaint. documentThey andmay faxask ityou to +44open (0)303an 1234attachment 246:
Scamor emailclick example:a link to download and review the complaint.

The sender of the email may be “complaints@companies-house-gov.uk” or “noreply@cpgov.uk”.

Investigations and Enforcement Services emails

These emails claim to be from "Robinthe Lawrence" (JPEG,‘Investigations 91.7and KB)Enforcement Services at Companies House’. The emails say they’re automatically generated in response to a complaint about a company.

FakeThe requestemails ask you to verifyview an attached document. Do not open this attachment. It contains malware.

Phishing scam about your emailWebFiling address:
Scamaccount

This email example:comes fakefrom requestthe todomain verify@libero.it, about “important matters related to your emailCompanies address (JPEG,House 156WebFiling KB)account”.

 Scam emails about online identification

EmailsThese claimingemails claim to be generatedfrom inCompanies responseHouse and ask you to acomplete company“online complaint:
identification”.

Scam email example:request responseto avoid legal action

This email claims to companybe complaintfrom 1 (PNG,Companies 236House. KB)
It asks you to use “e-Sign platform” to download and review documents affecting your business.

Scam email example:request responseto use an e-Sign platform to companydownload complaintdocuments

This 2 (JPEG,phishing 146email KB)asks you to download documents about the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill second reading.

Email

Phishing featuringscam with subject line ‘Hundreds of phone calls and emails have been sent in the HMRCname logoof tellingyour youcompany – Notice #’

This scam email claims that Companieshundreds Houseof needsphone calls and emails have been sent in your company name. It also asks you to click a link to see what type of information has been sent.

Phishing scam asking to verify your identity:
Scamidentity

These emailphishing example:scam Companiesemails Housecome needsfrom the address “noreply@companieshousel.ink”. They ask you to verify‘Verify your identity (JPEG, 169by KB)Friday, Feb 8”. These emails claim to be from Companies House and HMRC.

Scam request to download a copy of an application

EmailThese tellingemails appear to come from a valid Companies House email address but do not.

The emails tell you that your “application”application has been submitted and askingask you to to download a copy of the application:
application.

Scam email‘Document example:Order’ youremails

These "application"emails hasappear beento submitted (JPEG,come 70from KB)a valid Companies House email address but do not.

EmailYou’ll askingonly youget toa “verifyreal yourdocument identity”order withinemail 24if hoursyou’ve requested a copy of current company information using our online filing service.

Genuine document order emails contain:

• your company name and number under the ‘Order detail’ heading
• a one-timereference “referenceto number”:
  the attached PDF of company information
Scam

The emailscam example:emails verifydo yournot identitycontain withinthis 24individual hours (PNG,company 144information, KB)and the attachment is not in a PDF format.

Scam online filing submission emails

EmailSome claimingscam emails claim to “informbe a response to an online filing submission.

They might ask you aboutto:

• scan someand importantfax mattersan relatedattached todocument
• check youran Companiesattachment Houseto WebFilingconfirm account”your withacceptance aor buttonrejection sayingof “Accessa Now”:
  filing
Scam

If the email example:is importantgenuine, matterswe’ll relatedtell toyou yourin Companiesthe Housebody WebFilingof account (JPEG,the 73.9email KB)if we’ve accepted or rejected your submission.

Scam eReminder requests for accounts

RequestThese phishing emails appear to completebe a “Knowreminder Yourto Customersubmit (KYC)accounts.

The andemails Knowhave Youran Businessincorrect (KYB)due verification”:
Scamdate. emailThey example:ask "Knowyou Yourto Customer"“find andinformation "Knowin Yourthe Business" (PDF,following 125link KB,regarding 2your pages)Company’s annual accounts”.

EmailDo claimingnot toopen bethis aboutlink. “changesIt takes you to our‘118enquiries.com’ WebFilingand service”:
downloads a zip-file onto your device.

Scam requests to verify your Companies House password

If you’re not expecting to receive an email example:to "changesreset your password, it may be a scam.

Always check the website address (URL) you’re about to visit. If the address does not contain ‘.gov.uk’, it is not a Companies House page and could be a scam.

For example, a password reset request for our WebFilingonline service" (PNG,filing 49.9service KB)will have an address that starts: ‘ewf.companieshouse.gov.uk’.

Known Fraudulent fraudulent email domains

TheSome followingscam emailemails domainsuse havethe beenfollowing useddomains in fraudulenttheir emailsemail claimingaddresses. toWe bedo fromnot Companiesuse House:these domains:

• @arccoz.com
• @companies-house-gov.uk
• @companies-house.me.uk@cpgov.uk
• @companieshouse.me.uk
• @companies-house.me.uk
• @companieshousecomplaint.co.uk
• @companieshousecomplaints.co.uk
• @companieshouseemail.co.uk
• @companieshouseemail.uk
• @companieshousel.ink
• @companieshouses.co.uk
• @companieshouses.com
• @companieshousesecure.co.uk@companiesshouse.com
• @companiesshouse.co.uk
• @companiesshouse.com@companieshouses.co.uk
• @cp-securemessage.co.uk@companieshousesecure.co.uk
• @cpgov.uk@cp-securemessage.co.uk
• @ebilling-companieshouse-gov.uk
• @libero.it@companieshousel.ink
• @notification.service.gov.uk.en-uk.website

Scam letters

Scam letters may include:

• QR codes
• links to web pages
• formatting and logos to make it look like they’re from Companies House
• bank details
• poor

They qualitymay printask andyou format

pressure to act quickly

demands to make a payment or visit a web page

If youor getmake a letter claiming to be from Companies House

payment.

If you receive a suspicious letter:

• contact us immediately on 0303 1234 500
• do not pay any money to the sender
• do not visit any web page or QR code links
• do

Letter notabout share‘Company anyRegistration’

There personalis a scam letter printed on a green background.

The letter asks for money for “publishing the company’s information in the public database of Companies House Register”. 

It may include the term “COHOREG”. It may refer to the register as a “public database regarding legal information, economic and social activities, and all formalities related to companies registered in the UK”.

ExamplesLetter ofabout known‘payment code’

This is a scam lettersletter asking for payment for ‘Enhanced Web Filing Access’.

Letters from prosecuting solicitors asking for payment

FakeThis invoiceis a scam letter appearing to be from Companies House prosecuting solicitors.

It asks for “Companypayment Registration”:
Scaminto lettera example:bank fakeaccount to clear an outstanding invoice for "Company“prior Registration" (JPEG,penalty 102 KB)negotiations”.

FakeWe invoicedo mentioningnot “Unitsend Charge”these andkinds “Unitsof Violated”:
letters.

Scam invoice asking for payment for company registration

This scam letter example:appears invoiceto mentioningbe "Unitsan Violated" (JPEG,invoice 206from KB)Companies House.

LetterIt asks for payment of a balance shown in dollars, and is addressed from “Company‘Government Registry”Digital toService, “confirmCaroline yourStreet, companyBirmingham’.

These detailsinvoices &are activatenot securefrom vault”:
Companies House.

Suspicious job vacancies

Scam letterjob example:vacancies lettergenerally fromoffer "Companyhighly Registry" (JPEG,paid 127vacancies KB)or opportunities in the oil, hotel or banking industries.

LetterThe askingjob youadverts often appear in print or on websites to payseem £48genuine.

They might ask for “Enhancedmoney Webto Filingprocess Access”:
Scamyour letterapplication example:or paymention £48UK forvisas. "EnhancedCheck Webwith FilingUK Access"Visas and Immigration (PNG, 189for KB)information on applying for a UK visa.

LetterThe oncontact greendetails paperare fromusually “Companiesfake. HouseYou Register”should aboutnot payingreply forto “companythe registration”:
Scamproviders letterof example:these lettervacancies.

Treat fromall "Companiesjob Houseoffers Register"with pageextreme 1 (PNG,caution.

You 575can KB)
Scamsearch letterfor example:genuine letterjob fromvacancies "Companiesat Companies House Register"on pagethe 2 (PNG,civil 686service KB)jobs website.

Pension liberation scams

Pension scams are increasingly common in the UK.

Scammers might try and set up a limited company in your name.

If you believe someone has set up a company in your name, seek legal advice before taking any action to close it.

You might see scams promoted as:

• offers of ‘unique investment opportunities’
• free pension reviews
• legal loopholes
• cash bonuses
• government endorsed schemes

Pension scammers might approach you:

• by calling you on the phone
• in a text message
• in person, door to door

Be careful any time you’re contacted about your pension, unless it’s from a source you recognise and trust.

If someone approaches you about your pension, do not share your personal information or sign any paperwork.

The Money and Pensions Service can help you check if the offer of service is genuine.

The Pensions Regulator has information to help you if you think you’ve been targeted by a pension scam.scams.

Scam company register payment requests

Scammers have sent companies ‘notifications’ asking for money to maintain their company on a register.

These notifications might come from:

• New Companies Register
• Digital Companies Register
• National Register of Companies
• Economic Index for Europe
• Register of Companies and Businesses
• Scottish Commercial Register (publication of companies)
• Welsh Commercial Register
• e-public.co.uk Company Register
• regist.co.uk

This is not a real fee and Companies House is not connected to any of these organisations.

Do not pay the fee.