Company identity fraud is similar to personal identity
theft. The truth is, it’s terrifyingly easy to change
company documentation. Without a great deal of
knowledge or effort, a fraudster can change your
Registered Office, Trading Address, even the names of
your company directors – all without you knowing.
Companies House has to accept documentation it
receives at face value, so any checks undertaken on
the cloned company will show that the applying director
is an official director of the company, and the address
given is the Registered Office of the company.
In addition, an ordinary credit search against the
business, with any of the credit reference agencies, is
likely to show a healthy credit rating. It appears there is
no reason not to accept the order. This is when the
fraudster’s fun begins.
Having changed your address, and using your name,
the fraudster can order goods from current or new
suppliers and have them delivered to the new address.
Suppliers carrying out a check on the details kept at
Companies House will be unaware of any criminal activity and, using your own well-established credit
rating, will dispatch goods to the fake address.
Of course, you will not see these goods, the supplier
will not be paid and you will both be blissfully unaware
of the situation – until the supplier chases you for
payment. By then, the fraudster is long gone with the
goods, leaving you to deal with the consequences.
