Company set up fraudulently

tallerbird

Hi,

I hope someone out there can help.

A friend of mine recently received a letter address to her house but not to her. Living alone, she generally opens all post without checking the name, so she opened it.

It appears that someone she has recently become friends with (and lent a lot of money too) has registered a company at her address. She has also listed her and another friend as company directors without their knowledge or consent.

She has contacted Companies House who have told her that she needs to ask this woman to correct the details that she used when registering her company.
My friend is due to confront her and try and get it sorted out tomorrow.

I am just wondering why she has done this and also what are the risks to my friend? Can she end up being left with debts that she has nothing to do with?

earthstorm

i would email (text removed by MSE Forum Team) and explain that this company was set up with you named as a director and address without your consent, so you want these details removed from their register. It is upto companies house to chase up the person who set up the company.

paddyrg

Also maybe lodge your concerns with action fraud, get it on file at least that you're not a party to anything.

Limited company will also have a bank account being opened, if you can find out where you can probably knock that one on the head sharpish.

Buzby

She should be safe enough. Her signature confirming her directorship would presumably be fraudulent - so she has the ability to reject any claim against her by this 'friend', or Companies Registrar for that matter.

earthstorm

Buzby wrote: »

She should be safe enough. Her signature confirming her directorship would presumably be fraudulent - so she has the ability to reject any claim against her by this 'friend', or Companies Registrar for that matter.

but if the So called friend acts fraudulently , then any bailiffs etc. that have claims against the company will turn up at her house as this is the companies registered address.

It is best to nip this now by emailing companies house at the email i provided, so they can correct this, which as the address is unauthorised and the directors are, then they will most likely strike the company off.

Also if he made the company application online then he would just need to name the directors, so no signature would be needed.

Mistral001

There is a possibility that the OP's friend's friend set up the company so that the "loan" would be not a loan but an investment in her own firm, so that when the company goes bust the OP's friend would have no claim on the money she loaned this person as in effect she was just investing in her own company.

This is one for the Police I should have thought or at least a commercial solicitor I should have thought.

tallerbird

Thanks for the advice, I will pass it on to my friend.
We have been in contact with action fraud already to see what the options are.
Companies House have appeared helpful but have but have so far said that there is nothing they can do. I will suggest emailing [text removed by MSE Forum Team] as the next step.

Mark7799

Buzby wrote: »

She should be safe enough. Her signature confirming her directorship would presumably be fraudulent - so she has the ability to reject any claim against her by this 'friend', or Companies Registrar for that matter.

It is possible to set up a company on line without any signatures being taken by using the Companies House website.

patman99

Yes, but Companies House will send out documents to the Directors that need to be signed and returned.

emsywoo123

patman99 wrote: »

Yes, but Companies House will send out documents to the Directors that need to be signed and returned.

Nope, this is not the experience I have had. All online.

earthstorm

patman99 wrote: »

Yes, but Companies House will send out documents to the Directors that need to be signed and returned.

No they dont.

I am a director of several companies and have yet to be asked for a signature.