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Mar 6, 2024 · Action Fraud, the UK's fraud reporting centre, recently reported receiving 800 reports of scam emails pretending to be from companies selling life insurance. These emails are sent from random email addresses and always include a phishing link.
- Scam Telephone Calls
- Scam Emails
- Scam Letters
- Suspicious Job Vacancies
- Pension Liberation Scams
- Company Register Payment Requests
Late filing penalty payment
Companies have been contacted asking for payment of a late filing penalty over the telephone. The caller says they’ll accept a payment of £5 by credit or debit to place a hold on any further action being taken. We will not contact you for immediate payment of a late filing penalty or request payment of a nominal fee to place a hold on any recovery action. Payment plans are set up with the agreement of the manager dealing with your late filing penalty query. We will not cold call you to take a...
Asking for your authentication code
We’ll never ask you what your authentication code is over the phone. If anyone calls you claiming to be from Companies House asking for your authentication code - try to get a return telephone number and contact us immediately on 0303 1234 500.
Asking for directors’ details
Companies have been telephoned by people claiming to be from Companies House, who request details of their company’s directors. After being advised there’s a discrepancy with the information held on the register, the caller requests information such as full dates of birth for directors. If anyone calls you claiming to be from Companies House asking for this information - try to get a return telephone number and contact us immediately on 0303 1234 500.
We’re aware of suspicious emails being sent that claim to be from Companies House. Some emails might have an attachment, such as a Word document, and may ask you to enter an authorisation code. These emails have not been generated by us. If you receive a suspicious email, you should report it to us immediately at phishing@companieshouse.gov.uk.
Letter about ‘payment code’
This is a scam letter asking for payment. Do not visit any webpage or QR code links, and do not make any payments to the details shown.
Letter from ‘Company Registry’ asking for payment
We’re aware of a scam letter from a sender called Company Registry asking for payment to confirm company details and activate a secure vault. This is a scam - do not send any money to the bank account shown. If you receive a suspicious letter, contact us immediately on 0303 1234 500. Never pay any money to the sender.
Letters from prosecuting solicitors asking for payment
We’re aware of a scam letter that appears to be from Companies House prosecuting solicitors. It asks for payment into a bank account to clear an outstanding invoice for ‘prior penalty negotiations’. We do not issue these letters. If you receive a suspicious letter, contact us immediately on 0303 1234 500. Never pay any money into the bank account shown.
We’re receiving email enquiries about job adverts in the UK. These adverts generally offer highly paid vacancies or opportunities in the oil, hotel or banking industries. The job adverts are often placed in print or on websites to appear genuine. Treat all job offers with extreme caution. The contact details are usually fake, and you should avoid r...
Pension scams are on the increase in the UK and under some schemes individuals have had limited companies set up in their name. If you believe you’ve had a company set up in your name, seek legal advice before taking any action to close it. Scams are promoted using terms such as an offer of unique investment opportunities, free pension review, lega...
Companies registered at Companies House are receiving notifications asking for money to maintain their company on a register. The companies concerned are receiving what looks like a genuine request from one of the following: 1. New Companies Register 2. Digital Companies Register 3. National Register of Companies 4. Economic Index for Europe 5. Reg...
Follow our top tips to spot and avoid falling for an email scam. 1. Check the sender's email address. A scam email will usually come from an unrecognisable email address. This may consist of random numbers, letters or words that have nothing to do with the organisation the scammer is impersonating.
Jul 29, 2024 · Be wary of calls from mobile numbers or unsolicited messages on social media claiming to be legitimate businesses – real insurance companies wouldn’t contact you in these ways.
- Check the signs of fake online shops. You can search for a company's details on GOV.UK. This will tell you if they're a registered company or not. If you’re buying something on a site you haven't used before, spend a few minutes checking it – start by finding its terms and conditions.
- Don’t click on or download anything you don’t trust. Don’t click on or download anything you don’t trust - for example, if you get an email from a company with a strange email address.
- Be careful about giving personal information away. Some scammers try to get your personal information – for example, the name of your primary school or your National Insurance number.
- Check if your details have been shared online. Sometimes your log-in details can be made publicly available when a website is hacked. This means that someone could use your details in a scam.
If the scammer contacts you. If the scammer comes to your door, calls you, or sends you a message, ignore them, but keep a record of what's happened so you can report it. Read our advice on how to stop nuisance calls and texts.
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Apr 14, 2021 · If you think you have been approached by an unauthorised or clone firm, or contacted about a scam, you should report it to the FCA online or contact the FCA's consumer helpline on 0800 111 6768. If you've already responded to a scam, end all further communication immediately, call your bank directly, and report the scam to the police through ...