Prime is aware of the damage caused by hijackers to Limited Companies which has been regularly covered by the media. Company hijacks normally involve fraudsters changing details of the company Directors and Registered Office and then using the “hijacked company” to order goods or services on credit which they can sell, but never pay for. The company then has to sort out the aftermath, including correcting its public record.

Companies House cannot prevent company hijacking. It does not have the power to investigate the contents and accuracy of forms sent to them for filing. Once a “Form AD01” (form to change the Registered Office of a company) is completed and submitted, Companies House will amend its database without any confirmation. The fraudster can start opening trade accounts and begin ordering goods to the bogus address. The innocent company, whose details have been altered by the fraudster, will only find out about the scam when the debt collectors arrive or when legal action is initiated to recover the goods that have been fraudulently obtained.

To prevent this, as an addition to our online annual return service, we have established a company monitoring system that will alert us on your behalf with the fact that someone has filed a Form AD01 (change of Registered Office), AP01 / AP03 (Appointment of Director or Secretary), Form AR01 (Annual Return) or other Company forms that did not originate from our office.

As soon as the documents are received and registered at Companies House, our system will alert us immediately so we can check their legitimacy and, in the case of their being fraudulent, we can advise you of the subsequent actions you need to take to protect your company.

With a cost of less than £1 per week for our Anti-Hijacking alert service, can you afford not to be protected?