Reporting scams pretending to be from Companies House
What to do if you think you've noticed a scam pretending to be from Companies House, and examples of scam emails, letters and telephone calls.
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:
- 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
Examples of known phone scams
A caller claims to be from the Companies House “registration department” which does not exist. They ask for contact details to send out “registration documents”.
A caller asks you to pay a late filing penalty over the phone. They say they’ll accept a payment of £5 by credit or debit to place a hold on any further action being taken.
A caller tells you there’s a “discrepancy with the information held on the register” and asks for information such as full dates of birth for directors.
Scam emails
Deceptive or fraudulent emails often include:
- false and confusing information
- spelling or grammatical errors
- pressure to act quickly
- demands for payment
- formatting and logos to make it look like they’re from Companies House
- pressure to open an attachment or link, or to provide an authentication code
If you get an email claiming to be from Companies House
Even if an email seems legitimate:
- check the sender - real emails from Companies House will come from an email address ending “.gov.uk”
- hover over links to check where they go - if the URL looks different to what you were expecting, do not click the link
If you get a suspicious email:
- report it immediately at phishing@companieshouse.gov.uk
- do not share any personal information
- do not open any links or attachments
- delete the email from all mailboxes, including your deleted items
Examples of known email scams
Email from “Robin Lawrence” asking you to scan the attached document and fax it to +44 (0)303 1234 246:
Fake request to verify your email address:
Emails claiming to be generated in response to a company complaint:
Email featuring the HMRC logo telling you that Companies House needs to verify your identity:
Email telling you your “application” has been submitted and asking you to download a copy of the application:
Email asking you to “verify your identity” within 24 hours using a one-time “reference number”:
Email claiming to “inform you about some important matters related to your Companies House WebFiling account” with a button saying “Access Now”:
Request to complete a “Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) verification”:
Email claiming to be about “changes to our WebFiling service”:
Known fraudulent email domains
The following email domains have been used in fraudulent emails claiming to be from Companies House:
- @arccoz.com
- @companies-house-gov.uk
- @companies-house.me.uk
- @companieshouse.me.uk
- @companieshousecomplaint.co.uk
- @companieshousecomplaints.co.uk
- @companieshouseemail.co.uk
- @companieshouseemail.uk
- @companieshousel.ink
- @companieshouses.co.uk
- @companieshouses.com
- @companieshousesecure.co.uk
- @companiesshouse.co.uk
- @companiesshouse.com
- @cp-securemessage.co.uk
- @cpgov.uk
- @ebilling-companieshouse-gov.uk
- @libero.it
- @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 quality print and format
- pressure to act quickly
- demands to make a payment or visit a web page
If you get a letter claiming to be from Companies House
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 not share any personal information
Examples of known scam letters
Fake invoice for “Company Registration”:
Fake invoice mentioning “Unit Charge” and “Units Violated”:
Letter from “Company Registry” to “confirm your company details & activate secure vault”:
Letter asking you to pay £48 for “Enhanced Web Filing Access”:
Letter on green paper from “Companies House Register” about paying for “company registration”:
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.
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.
Updates to this page
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Added new examples of scam emails and letters. Updated example formats from images to attachments.
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Scam emails – Information added about a recent scam email.
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Scam telephone calls – Added information about a new scam telephone call claiming to be from Companies House.
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Scam letter from 'Company Registration'. Do not visit any webpage or QR code links, and do not make any payments to the details shown.
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Do not click on any links or reply to any emails from the domain "@libero.it". This is a phishing scam impersonating Companies House.
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Added scam letter about a 'payment code'.
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Scam email pretending to be about online identification.
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New scam email claiming to be from Companies House asking for online identification.
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Scam email claiming to be from Companies House asking for online identification.
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A warning about a scam letter has been added.
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A new scam email has been added to the list.
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Details of a scam asking users to download a copy of a submitted application has been added to the page.
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Many people are wanting to make charitable donations to support the people affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator has issued guidance for people looking to donate to make sure the donations reach their intended causes.
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Added information on a scam email claiming that 'hundreds of phonecalls and emails have been sent in the name of your company'.
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First published.