A search of the Companies House website revealed his neighbours had also had their addresses used to register bogus firms without their knowledge.
Usually, the company will be able to operate within 24 hours and there are no checks on who has made the registration. "It's a common misunderstanding that people think Companies House is some sort of regulated government organisation," he said. If you have been affected by this scam and would like to share your story, contact You and Yours by email atThe Companies House spokesman said it carried out checks to ensure filings were complete, but "at present, the Registrar of Companies has no legal powers to verify or validate the information which is delivered to her".
"Where potential criminal activity is identified, Companies House works closely with law enforcement agencies to refer matters and support investigations," he said.