How to check a UK company is legitimate

'Registered at Companies House' isn't proof of much

Anyone can register a UK company in a day for around £50, with no check on whether it trades, who really owns it, or whether the name mimics an established business. Registration is the start of a check, not the end of one.

The signals that separate a real, trading business from a shell or a clone are on the public record: how long it's existed, whether it actually files accounts, who controls it, and whether its details match the business you think you're dealing with.

Verif-AI reads those signals across the filings, ownership and director history so you can tell substance from façade before you commit.

How to tell a real business from a shell

Seven checks that separate a genuine company from a front — and where each comes from.

1. 01How long has it existed?
   A company incorporated days or weeks ago, presenting itself as long-established, is worth a closer look. Incorporation date is the first tell.From: incorporation date
2. 02Does it actually file?
   A genuine trading company files accounts and confirmation statements. A shell often files nothing, or only dormant accounts — a trading-company claim with a dormant filing history doesn't match.From: filing history + accounts type
3. 03Is the registered office a real base?
   Thousands of shells share a handful of formation-agent addresses. A registered office hosting tens of thousands of companies isn't proof of anything on its own, but it's context.From: registered office
4. 04Who actually owns and controls it?
   The PSC register names the people in real control. No PSC, a hidden owner, or control sitting in an opaque overseas entity are all worth weighing.From: the PSC register
5. 05What's the director history?
   A director with a trail of dissolved companies, or one person controlling dozens of thin entities, is a pattern the register makes visible.From: 27.8m director appointments
6. 06Does the name mimic an established company?
   Clones register names a hair's breadth from a well-known business. Compare the exact name, number and incorporation date against the company you believe you're dealing with.From: name + previous names
7. 07Has it had sudden changes?
   A flurry of recent name changes, address moves or director swaps can signal an entity being repurposed. The filing history records every change with a date.From: filing history

What a register check can and can't prove

The register confirms what's been filed — existence, age, ownership, filings. It can't prove honesty, and a well-run fraud can file clean paperwork. Equally, a thin filing history doesn't prove bad intent: plenty of legitimate young companies look sparse.

Verif-AI assembles these signals and flags the ones that don't add up, and in a Deep Dive screens directors against the FCDO consolidated sanctions list and UK Parliament members. It describes the public record — it isn't a fraud determination, and the decision stays with you.

Check before money or data changes hands

The point to verify legitimacy is before you pay a deposit, share documents, or onboard a counterparty — not after. The checks above are the ones a fraud or onboarding team runs: age, filing reality, ownership, director history, and whether the details match.

Verif-AI turns the register into a plain-English brief you can keep on file — the evidence that you checked, captured before you committed.