How do I report a false filing to Companies House?
By Ben Davies · Updated 26 September 2026
Stop keeping this deadline in your head
Watch my deadlines freeIf a filing appears on your company's record that you didn't make — a director you've never heard of, an address change, a document you didn't file — treat it as fraud in progress and act the same day. Speed matters: the longer a false entry sits on the public register, the more a fraudster can do with it.
Step by step
- Confirm what was filed. Open your company's filing history on the Companies House register and note exactly which documents appeared and when — our free hijack check lists the last 90 days with the suspicious categories flagged.
- Report it to Companies House. Contact Companies House and report the filing as false — tell them you are an officer of the company, which filings are fraudulent, and that you want them removed. Companies House has dedicated processes for disputed filings, and under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act the registrar has stronger powers than before to query, annotate and remove false information.
- Apply for removal (rectification). Companies House will explain the removal route for your case. Some false entries can be removed administratively; others need a formal rectification application. Ask for the register to be annotated in the meantime, so anyone checking sees the entry is disputed.
- Report the fraud itself to Action Fraud. A false filing is rarely the whole crime — report it at actionfraud.police.uk and keep the reference number; banks and Companies House may ask for it.
- Warn your bank if the company has an account, and check whether credit has been applied for in the company's name.
Then close the doors
Once the immediate damage is contained, stop it happening again: register for the free PROOF scheme so paper filings are blocked, and put the company under daily monitoring, so a new director, PSC, address or name change is flagged within a day of reaching the register — DormantFile's free watchdog does this. Our company hijacking guide covers the full protection setup.