Companies House
“Phishing” Emails
Phishing
Companies House has recently been used as a cover for phishing emails sent out by fraudsters.
The latest emails refer to a “company complaint” and use Companies House headers and footers to make the emails appear authentic. The links used do not however direct the recipient to the correct webpage, and the email address given as enquiries@companie-shouse.gov.uk is subtly incorrect. As with other phishing emails these could be used to retrieve personal data and distribute viruses throughout a company’s network.
The email addresses being used are mainly:
- complaints@companies-house-gov.uk; and
- noreply@cpgov.uk
Six ways to avoid a fake!
- Avoid email links – If an email asks for information regarding your taxes or finances, you can assume an ulterior motive is at play. Rather than clicking on the link in the email, manually type in the URL.
- Don’t give in to an electronic request – Instead of paying via the form you’re guided to, go to the “senders” website and check amounts owed and pay there.
- Ask a professional – If you have an accountant, tag them in. They’ll be able to spot a fake far quicker than you might, and they also have an overview of your accounts.
- Go to the source – If you don’t have an accountant to go to the next best thing is to go straight to the source. Ask the company in question directly and find out if the request was real.
- Update your tech – Ensure that you have the latest anti-virus software installed and effective spam filters. This is a simple solution which can make a big difference.
- Set protocols – If you have employees, ground rules need to be set for dealing with email and printed payment requests. Your staff should always be aware of the best practice and should never put the company’s finances at risk.
Companies House are requesting that any emails that you think may be suspicious be forwarded to them on to the following address – phishing@companieshouse.co.uk as soon as possible.
If you have any questions on the above or if you are concerned about authentic correspondence please contact us.
To see our other news items please visit our Muras Baker Jones – Blog.