Member Article

New measures to combat business fraud

Businesses are being urged to fight back against fraud by taking advantage of changes made in the Companies Act 2006 which came into force this week.

A major change offers directors and company secretaries the chance to remove their personal home addresses from the public record, by supplying Companies House with an alternate “service address” such as the company’s registered office.

Previously, withholding a residential address was only possible via a Confidentiality Order issued by the Courts.

Simon Hook, senior manager at Darlington-based business advisory and accountancy firm Clive Owen & Co LLP, said: “The changes mean home addresses don’t need to be held on public record which makes it harder for fraudsters to access your personal details via Companies House.

“It limits the amount of information people can access and is a step in the right direction in the fight against crimes, such as identity theft. Residential addresses can be removed online via the Companies House website.

“It is just one of a number of measures designed to protect businesses as criminals become increasingly adept at using information in the public arena to their own ends.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .