There has been an increase in reports of fraudulent letters claiming to originate from Companies House,
These letter are urging recipients to pay for “Enhanced Web Filing Access,” a service that does not actually exist.
These letters, featuring convincing logos and language, are sophisticated scams. Recipients are advised not to follow any instructions within these letters, including making payments or disclosing personal information, to avoid potential financial losses or identity theft.
Companies House emphasises the importance of verifying suspicious communications by directly contacting official channels.
Additionally, they provide crucial advice to protect your online interactions.
- Register for Online Filing: This is a secure method to submit your company information, complete with built-in checks to prevent errors.
- Protect Your Authentication Code: Treat this code with the same confidentiality as a bank PIN, as it can be used to make significant changes to your company’s official records.]
- Use the PROOF Scheme: Registering for this service can protect your company from unauthorized changes by allowing only online filings for certain forms.
- Sign Up for the ‘Follow’ Service: This free service alerts you via email about filings and changes made to your company, helping you to monitor and respond quickly to unauthorized actions.
- Always check that any communication, especially those requesting sensitive information, is genuinely from Companies House by ensuring URLs contain ‘.gov.uk’ and by directly contacting Companies House through verified means for any queries.
- Read their dedicated page for more specialised advice.
See their Facebook post below for more information.
