ID fraud companies house

codprawn · 05 September 2008, 13:09

Any company directors out there beware.

I have just been contacted by Natwest to say that someone has tried to get a credit card in my name - apparently I have just moved to Essex!!!

For a measly £2 you can get all the data you need from companies house on any director.

My address will now be flagged by CIFAS so no doubt I will have some fun and games when I try to apply for something......

I have also discovered that any idiot can change the registered address of any company just by filling in a form. Then they can pretend to be that company and get credit etc and run up big bills. Apparently there is nothing Companies House can do(yeah right) so you have to keep checking every month yourself on their website!!!

All this proves that the bloody government are making it EASIER for these people to commit fraud by collecting too much data on people.

Oh and on the subject of warnings make sure you check the cashpoint EVERY time you use it. Skimming machines are getting even more common - several hit in our area. I grab the front of the cashpoint around the card slot and try to pull it off ever time I use it now!!!

Remember how chip and pin would make things harder???

Here is just one example - pretty hard to spot - dodgy one at the bottom!!!

Bigfoot · 06 September 2008, 16:42

My dad thoroughly inspects the machine before using it, and while looking like a t*at doing it , looks a lot less silly than identity theft.....

willk · 06 September 2008, 21:50

Hey, how do we know this is the REAL Codprawn posting?

It could be an ID thief stealing his credibility!

Bigmuz7 · 07 September 2008, 08:24

I can fully authenticate this Codprawn post, and thanks CP when I'm at it, I knew about the Companies house stuff, I still think its crazy that a director 'must' be compelled to state their home address, when any other business controller ie self employed doesent, since the privelige of Limited Liability is now a complete nonsence, what with corporate liability, trying to borrow money and giving personal guarantees etc, and its good to see a skmmiing cash point too

Tim M · 07 September 2008, 08:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

I still think its crazy that a director 'must' be compelled to state their home address

Norfolk county council used to make all mobile catering businesses (burger vans, ice-cream trailers) put the owners home address on the front. They had to stop doing it in the end because people's home kept getting burgled - chavs would see chap flipping burgers, note his address, go round there and rob it knowing the owner wouldn't come back for a while!

tinker · 07 September 2008, 11:00

To add to this, any internet business should also have their business address displayed.

MikeCC · 07 September 2008, 18:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

I still think its crazy that a director 'must' be compelled to state their home address

Not under the new Companies Act they don't.

Tim M · 07 September 2008, 18:11

No but legally they do have do put their company details on a plaque on the front of the building. Who actually does that!

Bigmuz7 · 07 September 2008, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeCC

Not under the new Companies Act they don't.

So are you saying you dont have to disclose these details ?, since, as far as I was led to believe the only people that can get around this, get special permission from the government, and it usually (but rarely) is granted to Directors of say.. defence companies, or animal research companies, those most likely to become targets of protestors of some kind, or otherwise malicious intent.

Poly · 07 September 2008, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

So are you saying you dont have to disclose these details ?, since, as far as I was led to believe the only people that can get around this, get special permission from the government, and it usually (but rarely) is granted to Directors of say.. defence companies, or animal research companies, those most likely to become targets of protestors of some kind, or otherwise malicious intent.

Bigmuz - if I understand correctly then from October 2009 everyone will be able to list a publicly available address. You will also be required to provide your home address but that will be only available to com. house (of course they will no doubt lose the CD with the information on it anyway!).

codprawn · 07 September 2008, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Bigmuz - if I understand correctly then from October 2009 everyone will be able to list a publicly available address. You will also be required to provide your home address but that will be only available to com. house (of course they will no doubt lose the CD with the information on it anyway!).

Of course they will - the more data they gather the better chance there is of it going missing!!!

I have worked in many high security data centres etc and the only person to ever challenge me for forgetting my pass was a cleaner - just walk up to a door as someone is going through and they won't slam it in your face.

I have seen whole servers go missing before now and they weren't sure if they had been stolen or just taken by another department........

Poly · 07 September 2008, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim M

No but legally they do have do put their company details on a plaque on the front of the building. Who actually does that!

tim - don't think this has to be on a "plaque" or on the "front" of the building - but it should be clealry displayed.

And I thought it was only necessary if the trading name was different from the legal ownership/name, e.g. if "XYZ Widgets Ltd" trades under its full name only then it doesn't have to do anything. But if "XYZ Widgets Ltd" trades as "ABC Devices" then it must display the actual owner - but I might be wrong on the detail there.

Bigmuz7 · 09 September 2008, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Bigmuz - if I understand correctly then from October 2009 everyone will be able to list a publicly available address.

Not sure what you mean Polwart, do you just mean 'any' postal address ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

You will also be required to provide your home address but that will be only available to com. house

Is this going to cease to be public Knowledge for £2 then ? .. Are they putting a bar on selling on these details ? I mean they dont sell them at the moment, but others collect the info .. then do ?

Poly · 10 September 2008, 09:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

Not sure what you mean Polwart, do you just mean 'any' postal address ?

yes, sorry, I mean just any address where documents can be sent to you. the most logical probably being your registerred office. you will still be required to tell Companies House your home address but they will not make that available to the general public.

Quote:

Is this going to cease to be public Knowledge for £2 then ? .. Are they putting a bar on selling on these details ? I mean they dont sell them at the moment, but others collect the info .. then do ?

pretty much. when the new rules come in, my understanding is that "anyone" would be able to look up the service address of a director (that is obtain a way of contacting them). [I guess there will be a small token fee for this as just now].

Only government agencies and some specialist credit reference agencies will have access to your home address info - and my understnading is that they are then not allowed to share/sell that data.