Identity Theft in the UK: How Scammers Used Companies House to Target a Company Director (Luke’s Story)
Identity theft does not only happen to people who are careless online. It can happen to anyone, including business owners who think they have done everything properly. This is the story of Luke (name changed for privacy), a UK company director who became the victim of identity theft after criminals used public information to impersonate him, open bank accounts, and steal his post.
If your limited company is registered to your home address, this is worth reading.
Want to keep your home address off Companies House?
What Happened to Luke
Luke registered his limited company using his home address. It was the easiest option at the time.
Later, scammers were able to:
- open multiple bank accounts in Luke’s name
- request cheque books from his bank
- steal his mail from his home address
The key detail is simple. The criminals knew where Luke lived because the address was visible on Companies House.
If your company is registered to your home, you are exposed to the same risk.
Why UK Directors Are Vulnerable to Identity Theft
Companies House is designed to make company information accessible. That includes details that criminals can exploit.
1) Your home address can be used against you
If your company is registered at home, your address may be visible on the public register.
That gives scammers:
- a verified address linked to your name
- a location where they can intercept letters
- a strong base for impersonation
Once criminals can steal your post, they can often push fraud further.
The fastest way to reduce exposure is to remove your home address from the public record.
2) Your personal information is almost complete
Companies House excludes the day of your date of birth, but it can still show:
- month and year of birth
- full name
- service address
- company history and links to other companies
That is enough for criminals to build a profile and start attempts to impersonate you.
Fraud rarely starts with perfect information. It starts with enough information to get through early checks.
3) Criminals can target companies that look like they have money
Many people assume financial information is private.
In practice, balance sheet information is often visible. This can include indicators that a business holds cash.
Criminals can use that to filter companies that appear worth targeting, then look up the directors connected to them.
This makes the process faster and more targeted.
If your company filings show cash, it can make you a more obvious target than you think.
Why This Type of Fraud Works
Luke expected identity theft to involve hacking.
Instead, it relied on simple steps that many systems still allow:
- Use public information to build a profile
- Trigger letters and cheque books to be posted
- Intercept the post at the address
- Use stolen mail to support further fraud
This is why having sensitive post delivered to a residential address increases the risk.
What Luke Would Do Differently
After the incident, Luke changed how he runs his business.
These are the steps he now recommends to other UK directors:
1) Stop using your home address for your company
It reduces your visibility and removes a key data point criminals use.
2) Use a Virtual Office address
It replaces your home address on the public register with a service address.
3) Use mail handling
It prevents sensitive letters from landing in your letterbox.
4) Monitor your credit profile
It can help you spot fraud earlier.
Protect Your Address Before It Becomes a Problem
Most people only take identity theft seriously after it happens.
Luke did too.
If you are a director and your company is registered to your home address, ask yourself:
If someone looked me up today, what could they do with what they find?
For Luke, it was enough to cause serious disruption.
If you want to run a limited company without exposing your home address:
Virtual Office Protection for UK Directors
A Virtual Office is not just about having a business address.
It helps protect:
- your home location
- your personal privacy
- your business post
- your ability to operate without disruption
Luke’s experience is a reminder that privacy is not a detail. For directors, it is part of security.
