Cardiff flat owner gets tax bill for 11,000 Chinese companies.
BBC news recently reported a Mr Dylan Davies from Cardiff recently discovered his address had been used by 11,000 Chinese companies to fraudulently register for VAT in the UK. What this meant for Mr Davies was he was receiving tax demands from HMRC to the tune of £500,000. As well as dealing with letters from debt collection agencies concerning the fraudulent use of his address, he feared, at one point, he might lose his home. He was shocked and stunned, stating, 'You would think there'd be systems with technology today that would have picked it up immediately'.
So how could this happen today? Currently, HMRC does not check the validity of an address for new VAT registration. Neither does Companies House verify the validity of an address or verify the identity of the Directors. It is now effortless to setup a company, use your address, and then register for VAT and exposing you to potential fraud.
Title Guardian can protect your home and your property portfolio by alerting instantly if a fraudster has created a fraudulent company using your address or if the fraudster has named you as a Director.
Are you next? Have fraudsters already registered bogus companies to your home? Or named you as a Director? Find out now, download the Title Guardian app today, and gain the peace of mind that your home, your properties and your identity are protected.
Reference:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65205520
Luton ‘stolen’ house owner still fighting to reclaim home.
In October 2022, the BBC reported that Reverend Mike Hall had his house effectively 'stolen' from him as someone impersonating him had put his house up for sale and successfully sold it. One year on, he is still working to obtain compensation for the loss of his property and has been unable to regain formal ownership of his house.
So how did this happen? When neighbours alerted him that someone was in his house, Reverend Hall was working away from home. He drove home to find building work underway and a new owner who said he had bought the house.
"I tried my key in the front door, but it didn't work, and a man opened the front door to me - and the shock of seeing the house completely stripped of furniture, everything was out of the property."
Identity Impersonation
A BBC Radio 4 investigation obtained the driving licence used to impersonate Mr Hall, details of a bank account set up in his name to receive the proceeds of the sale, and phone recordings of a man claiming to be Mr Hall instructing solicitors to sell the house.
Once the house was sold to the new owner for £131,000 by the fraudster impersonating Mr Hall, they legally owned it.
As well as Mr Hall fighting to regain ownership, the BBC has learned that over a year later, the new owners are contesting Mr Hall's appeal to have the house transferred back into his name, which may result in a legal tribunal before making any decision.
The HM Land Registry Title Register has since confirmed the house is now owned by the new owners.
How can I protect my property from fraudulent sale-
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case of Title Fraud. So how can you protect your home or property portfolio from being effectively stolen by someone who assumes your identity?
After registering your property with Title Guardian, we will alert you; if your house has been placed on the housing market for sale, if a bogus company has been registered using your identity or registered to your property address, if a Solicitor has sent a Title Application to HM Land Registry to update the Title Register or if there is any Title Application lodged by anyone else to update the Title Register. Receive instant alerts by push notifications, email and SMS.
Find out now if your property is being listed for sale online. Register now
