We are all aware that we should be wary of suspicious emails. However, the scammers are getting more sophisticated. We have received one today supposedly from Companies House in respect of their eReminder Service.
The Companies House eReminder Service is something which companies can set up so that they receive an email when either their accounts or confirmation statement is due. We actively manage these deadlines for our clients, so it’s not something which we’ve particularly subscribed to. That was one of the reasons why, when we received the email, it raised our suspicion.
On the whole, the email looked quite convincing. However, it said that our company’s accounts are due by 25/05/2017. If this was the case, then Companies House would have been jumping up and down, most notably in terms of the late filing penalties which would be payable.
It then went on to say that the accounts must be delivered by 01/05/2015, which is almost 3 years ago!
Inevitably, the final clue that it’s a scam was that the email address wasn’t from Companies House. Interestingly, the email address looks OK on a smart phone. However, when viewed in Outlook, the full incorrect address is more obvious.
This is just another reminder that you need to keep your wits about you in respect of scams. If you receive an email like this, and are unsure as to whether it is genuine, please don’t hesitate to ask us.
NB if you are interested in setting up a Companies House eReminder, then please let us know. Alternatively see here.
