a website business has the contact address as my home address

companieshell

thank you OutdoorQueen I will report on those links

companieshell

Thanks booneruk that's really useful, I will email them.

hpuse

@companieshell

From what you have described, it appears like someone has setup a business with your address without your permission, which could be classified as fraud or data theft, so you may also report to

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime

Ectophile

hpuse said:

@companieshell

From what you have described, it appears like someone has setup a business with your address without your permission, which could be classified as fraud or data theft, so you may also report to

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime

You can report it.  But don't expect anything to happen.  Despite their name, Action Fraud do not take action on fraud.

Ergates

hpuse said:

@companieshell

From what you have described, it appears like someone has setup a business with your address without your permission, which could be classified as fraud or data theft, so you may also report to

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime

Addresses are public knowledge, there is no data theft.  Also, the OP is by no stretch of the imagination the victim of fraud here, so the polic/action fraud will have no interest.

hpuse

Ergates said:

hpuse said:

@companieshell

From what you have described, it appears like someone has setup a business with your address without your permission, which could be classified as fraud or data theft, so you may also report to

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime

Addresses are public knowledge, there is no data theft.  Also, the OP is by no stretch of the imagination the victim of fraud here, so the polic/action fraud will have no interest.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/personal-information-what-is-it/what-is-personal-data/can-we-identify-an-individual-indirectly/

For example, if searching a public register or reverse directory would enable you to identify an individual from an address or telephone number, and you are likely to use this resource for this purpose, you should consider that the address or telephone number data is capable of identifying an individual.

inthedepthsofthesea

Best to report to Companies House and NCSC and let them deal with the dodgy company and scam website, before anyone falls victim to these scammers.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/personal-information-what-is-it/what-is-personal-data/can-we-identify-an-individual-indirectly/

For example, if searching a public register or reverse directory would enable you to identify an individual from an address or telephone number, and you are likely to use this resource for this purpose, you should consider that the address or telephone number data is capable of identifying an individual.

Even if the scammers are based in the UK, which is highly doubtful, there are only niche circumstances where the ICO advises that addresses should be treated as personal data under GDPR, which you've found. This is not one of them.

Addresses are publicly available from the Royal Mail https://www.royalmail.com/find-a-postcode, Google or by walking down any street in the UK.

Ergates

hpuse said:

Ergates said:

hpuse said:

@companieshell

From what you have described, it appears like someone has setup a business with your address without your permission, which could be classified as fraud or data theft, so you may also report to

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime

Addresses are public knowledge, there is no data theft.  Also, the OP is by no stretch of the imagination the victim of fraud here, so the polic/action fraud will have no interest.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/personal-information-what-is-it/what-is-personal-data/can-we-identify-an-individual-indirectly/

For example, if searching a public register or reverse directory would enable you to identify an individual from an address or telephone number, and you are likely to use this resource for this purpose, you should consider that the address or telephone number data is capable of identifying an individual.

Do you see the text I have bolded?   Do you understand it?

An address is PII if and when it is linked to a person or persons.   Just an address on it's own is not PII, it is publicly available information.  You can walk down any street and see the house numbers.   You can look on a street map of any town and see the street names.  You can go onto the Post Office website and look up any address in the UK.

In this instance, the company in question has only used the OPs address, and it is not linked to any identifying information about the OP.

There has been no data theft.   The OP is not a victim of fraud and the police and/or action fraud will have no interest.

Hyperbole helps noone.

hpuse

Ergates said:

hpuse said:

Ergates said:

hpuse said:

@companieshell

From what you have described, it appears like someone has setup a business with your address without your permission, which could be classified as fraud or data theft, so you may also report to

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime

Addresses are public knowledge, there is no data theft.  Also, the OP is by no stretch of the imagination the victim of fraud here, so the polic/action fraud will have no interest.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/personal-information-what-is-it/what-is-personal-data/can-we-identify-an-individual-indirectly/

For example, if searching a public register or reverse directory would enable you to identify an individual from an address or telephone number, and you are likely to use this resource for this purpose, you should consider that the address or telephone number data is capable of identifying an individual.

Do you see the text I have bolded?   Do you understand it?

An address is PII if and when it is linked to a person or persons.   Just an address on it's own is not PII, it is publicly available information.  You can walk down any street and see the house numbers.   You can look on a street map of any town and see the street names.  You can go onto the Post Office website and look up any address in the UK.

In this instance, the company in question has only used the OPs address, and it is not linked to any identifying information about the OP.

There has been no data theft.   The OP is not a victim of fraud and the police and/or action fraud will have no interest.

Hyperbole helps noone.

Please confirm -  using someone’s address without consent to form a private limited company is not illegal or against GDPR? 

powerful_Rogue

hpuse said:

Ergates said:

hpuse said:

Ergates said:

hpuse said:

@companieshell

From what you have described, it appears like someone has setup a business with your address without your permission, which could be classified as fraud or data theft, so you may also report to

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime

Addresses are public knowledge, there is no data theft.  Also, the OP is by no stretch of the imagination the victim of fraud here, so the polic/action fraud will have no interest.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/personal-information-what-is-it/what-is-personal-data/can-we-identify-an-individual-indirectly/

For example, if searching a public register or reverse directory would enable you to identify an individual from an address or telephone number, and you are likely to use this resource for this purpose, you should consider that the address or telephone number data is capable of identifying an individual.

Do you see the text I have bolded?   Do you understand it?

An address is PII if and when it is linked to a person or persons.   Just an address on it's own is not PII, it is publicly available information.  You can walk down any street and see the house numbers.   You can look on a street map of any town and see the street names.  You can go onto the Post Office website and look up any address in the UK.

In this instance, the company in question has only used the OPs address, and it is not linked to any identifying information about the OP.

There has been no data theft.   The OP is not a victim of fraud and the police and/or action fraud will have no interest.

Hyperbole helps noone.

Please confirm -  using someone’s address without consent to form a private limited company is not illegal or against GDPR? 

Wouldn't be against GDPR.

Whether it's illegal would depend on the intent of the person using it.