Fraudsters are targeting small businesses in an attempt to steal company identities. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is alerting its members to the threat following reports of bogus calls from people pretending to be Companies House officials.
The con men ask for authentication codes, which they use to set up fake companies and steal money, goods and services.
FSB home affairs chairman David Croucher warned that company identity fraud was on the increase and said: "Trying to recoup money and sensitive information once it has been stolen is far harder than protecting it in the first place. We urge business owners to look after company details and not to respond to unsolicited calls asking for private information."