A Company Number Is Not Proof: How to Verify a Business Website

A company number can be genuine while the website displaying it is not.

On 23 September 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority published a warning about MyCarSecurity.com. The FCA stated that the unauthorised firm had no association with Tide Group Holdings Ltd and was falsely claiming the genuine UK company’s registered number.

That example demonstrates an important verification principle: finding a real company number is only the beginning of a check, not the end of it.

CLAIM

If a website displays a company number that exists at Companies House, the website has proved that it belongs to that company.

EVIDENCE

The FCA warning provides a current example where a genuine registered company number was, according to the regulator, being used by an unauthorised firm with no association to the genuine company.

A registration record can establish that a company exists. It does not automatically establish that the website, email address, telephone number or bank account you are dealing with is controlled by that company.

TEST

When a website gives you a company number, cross-check the identity rather than merely confirming that the number exists.

1. Search the number independently. Enter it yourself into Companies House rather than following a supplied link.
2. Compare the legal name. Does the registered company name match the business identity being presented?
3. Compare contact details. Check addresses, telephone numbers and email domains against reliable independent sources.
4. Check regulatory status where relevant. For financial services, use the FCA Firm Checker or Financial Services Register independently.
5. Verify payment instructions separately. A matching company number does not authenticate a bank account.

VERDICT — V1 VERIFIED

The proposition that a company number alone proves the identity of a website is unsupported. The FCA’s 23 September warning provides primary-source evidence of a genuine registered number allegedly being used by an unrelated unauthorised firm.

The correct conclusion is narrower: a company number can help identify a registered entity, but the connection between that entity and the website or person contacting you must be verified separately.

ACTION

If a website is asking for money, financial information or identity documents, do not treat a Companies House number, padlock icon or polished website as authentication. Cross-check the business through independent sources and contact it using details obtained independently.

Primary sources: FCA — MyCarSecurity.com warning; FCA — How to check a firm or individual is authorised.

The FCA warning concerns the entity and website identified in the FCA notice. The Verification Desk has not independently determined the conduct of any individual. This publication provides general information, not legal or financial advice.