Changeflow GovPing Corporate Registry Guidance on Reporting Scams Pretending to be Co...

Routine Guidance Added Final

Guidance on Reporting Scams Pretending to be Companies House

Companies House Latest News

Published December 23rd, 2020

Detected February 11th, 2026

Summary

Companies House has published guidance on how to report scams that impersonate the agency. The guidance details how to identify and report suspicious phone calls and emails, providing examples of known scam tactics.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

Companies House has issued guidance to help individuals and businesses identify and report scams that impersonate the agency. The document outlines common tactics used in fraudulent phone calls and emails, such as requests for sensitive information, demands for payment, and deceptive formatting. It provides specific instructions on what to do if a suspicious communication is received, including not sharing personal details and reporting phishing attempts to a dedicated email address.

This guidance is intended to protect the public and businesses from fraudulent activities. Regulated entities should familiarize themselves with the described scam tactics and ensure their employees are aware of these risks. Prompt reporting of suspected scams is encouraged to help Companies House combat these fraudulent operations.

What to do next

Review guidance on identifying and reporting scams impersonating Companies House
Educate employees on recognizing and responding to suspicious communications
Report any suspected scam attempts to phishing@companieshouse.gov.uk

Source document (simplified)

Guidance

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.

From: Companies House Published 23 December 2020 Last updated 9 February 2026
— See all updates Get emails about this page Print this page There’s a separate process if you want to:

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:

formatting and logos to make it look like they’re from Companies House
wording copied from legitimate Companies House emails
false and confusing information
spelling or grammatical errors
pressure to act quickly
demands for payment
pressure to open an attachment or link or provide an authentication code

If you get an email claiming to be from Companies House

Even if an email seems legitimate:

always 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 impersonating our emails to registered email addresses, telling you to verify your identity now:
Scam email example: verify your identity now (PNG, 64.6 KB)

Email from “Robin Lawrence” asking you to scan the attached document and fax it to +44 (0)303 1234 246:
Scam email example: email from "Robin Lawrence" (JPEG, 91.7 KB)

Fake request to verify your email address:
Scam email example: fake request to verify your email address (JPEG, 156 KB)

Emails claiming to be generated in response to a company complaint:
Scam email example: response to company complaint 1 (PNG, 236 KB)
Scam email example: response to company complaint 2 (JPEG, 146 KB)

Email featuring the HMRC logo telling you that Companies House needs to verify your identity:
Scam email example: Companies House needs to verify your identity (JPEG, 169 KB)

Email telling you your “application” has been submitted and asking you to download a copy of the application:
Scam email example: your "application" has been submitted (JPEG, 70 KB)

Email asking you to “verify your identity” within 24 hours using a one-time “reference number”:
Scam email example: verify your identity within 24 hours (PNG, 144 KB)

Email claiming to “inform you about some important matters related to your Companies House WebFiling account” with a button saying “Access Now”:
Scam email example: important matters related to your Companies House WebFiling account (JPEG, 73.9 KB)

Request to complete a “Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) verification”:
Scam email example: "Know Your Customer" and "Know Your Business" (PDF, 125 KB, 2 pages)

Email claiming to be about “changes to our WebFiling service”:
Scam email example: "changes to our WebFiling service" (PNG, 49.9 KB)

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”:
Scam letter example: fake invoice for "Company Registration" (JPEG, 102 KB)

Fake invoice mentioning “Unit Charge” and “Units Violated”:
Scam letter example: invoice mentioning "Units Violated" (JPEG, 206 KB)

Letter from “Company Registry” to “confirm your company details & activate secure vault”:
Scam letter example: letter from "Company Registry" (JPEG, 127 KB)

Letter asking you to pay £48 for “Enhanced Web Filing Access”:
Scam letter example: pay £48 for "Enhanced Web Filing Access" (PNG, 189 KB)

Letter on green paper from “Companies House Register” about paying for “company registration”:
Scam letter example: letter from "Companies House Register" page 1 (PNG, 575 KB)
Scam letter example: letter from "Companies House Register" page 2 (PNG, 686 KB)

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

Published 23 December 2020 Last updated 9 February 2026 show all updates
1.
9 February 2026

Scam emails - added example of a new phishing scam impersonating Companies House emails to registered email addresses.
2.
4 December 2025

Added new examples of scam emails and letters. Updated example formats from images to attachments.
3.
26 June 2025

Scam emails – Information added about a recent scam email.
4.
2 April 2025

Scam telephone calls – Added information about a new scam telephone call claiming to be from Companies House.
5.
7 October 2024

Scam letter from 'Company Registration'. Do not visit any webpage or QR code links, and do not make any payments to the details shown.
6.
23 May 2024

Do not click on any links or reply to any emails from the domain "@libero.it". This is a phishing scam impersonating Companies House.
7.
25 January 2024

Added scam letter about a 'payment code'.
8.
23 November 2023

Scam email pretending to be about online identification.
9.
27 October 2023

New scam email claiming to be from Companies House asking for online identification.
10.
20 September 2023

Scam email claiming to be from Companies House asking for online identification.
11.
24 March 2023

A warning about a scam letter has been added.
12.
7 December 2022

A new scam email has been added to the list.
13.
22 November 2022

Details of a scam asking users to download a copy of a submitted application has been added to the page.
14.
4 March 2022

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.
15.
21 June 2021

Added information on a scam email claiming that 'hundreds of phonecalls and emails have been sent in the name of your company'.
16.
23 December 2020

First published.