We recently came across a new company scam from the Register of Companies and Businesses. We set a new limited company up for a client in April, and he received the above letter (we have blocked out the company name for obvious reasons). He knew instantly it was a scam, as he’s had many limited companies before, but thought we may find it funny! Basically, the letter is a call to action – namely to visit a website (www.regist.co.uk) and pay for ‘the publication of your company’.
However, the position is this; if you set up a new limited company, there is absolutely no requirement to register on this website. It is a scam, although it is subtle. There are no threats, it does not state any legal requirements to register. It simply says ‘lack of payment will result in lack of entry in the Register of Companies and Businesses’. If you are concerned what this may mean, I would suggest you visit the website. It is akin to having your company name put up on a wall in a room where no one goes!
There are articles on the website, but they are generic, and don’t really mean anything or even make sense.
There is also the register. If you click on an area, you will see the names of companies which may exist, or may be fictional. The companies may have been conned, or they could be populated to try and give the register credibility. Either way, the only information is the company name and address. Pretty useless to anyone.
Finally, as you may suspect, the Register of Companies and Businesses is nothing to do with Companies House.
So the bottom line is – if you receive a letter from the Register of Companies and Businesses, do not respond, there is no requirement to and you will be paying £190 for nothing.
