Spot fake registration and renewal invoices

Foreign Company Setup editorial · 16 September 2026 · 2 min read

Once a business exists, unsolicited letters can look surprisingly convincing. They may repeat your company name, address or registration number. Those details alone do not prove that a payment request is official. Make invoice verification part of the setup process before the first urgent-looking demand arrives.

Match the demand to a real obligation

Ask what filing, licence, subscription or order the invoice relates to. Look for a legal entity, a clear service description and the relevant period. An invitation to buy an optional listing should not be treated as a compulsory government renewal. Check the obligation through the authority’s website, not a link printed on the invoice.

Use a two-step payment rule

The person approving an invoice should confirm the obligation and the recipient before anyone pays it. For a small business, this can be the founder and a second trusted reviewer rather than a large finance team. If you work alone, leave time between reading an unexpected demand and approving payment.

Keep an expected-payment calendar

Record known filing dates, authorised suppliers and subscription renewals. When an invoice arrives, compare it with that list. An unexpected charge is a question to investigate, not automatic proof of fraud. Equally, a genuine-looking reference number is not a reason to bypass your checks.

Put it into practice

Do not use an unsolicited payment link as your starting point.
Check whether the charge is compulsory or optional.
Confirm the payee and bank details independently.
Keep a copy of suspicious correspondence.

Your next step

Create an “unverified invoices” folder and a rule that nothing in it is paid until the underlying obligation is confirmed. Make sure anyone handling company mail knows the rule.

Official sources & scope

Companies House and WIPO both publish warnings about misleading payment requests. WIPO’s guidance concerns trademark-related invoices; the same document is not a universal company-renewal notice.

General planning information. Country-specific rules and individual circumstances need separate verification. Examples are illustrative; no savings or application outcome is guaranteed.