At Total Accounting Kent, we would like to help raise your awareness regarding a new scam that is doing the rounds. These letters arrived at our office this week and even made us look twice.

For a new business owner this is a real danger, as you won’t know what’s normal and what’s odd…. So we urge clients to send us any letters or emails which you’re not sure about.

What is the Scam?

The latest scams target new businesses who have recently incorporated at Companies House.

The first letter claiming to be from Companies House looks very similar to official Companies House correspondence, so please be vigilant. This letter ask for additional payment for ‘Web Filing Access’. (After you have successfully incorporated a new Company with Companies House you won’t be asked to pay them something else – you pay the fee when registering your business, and then won’t have to pay anything else until your Confirmation Statement a year later). Companies House do NOT send payment codes by post, neither do they charge for Enhanced Web Filing Access.

The second letter is designed to make the new business think they haven’t completed the process by stating that the new business is ‘Unclaimed’ or ‘Pending’…. But this is nonsense. Companies House will send you reminders for free, so there’s absolutely no need to sign up, or to pay anything.

How to report

If you receive a letter or email you’re not sure about, the easiest way to check is by visiting  gov.uk to see if the letter is genuine. If you are sent the letter via email, then forward it to the following email address phishing@companieshouse.gov.uk and then delete the email itself.