Companies House Personal Data Breach

[indigostr]

I was searching earlier for a friends address and found easily through a quick google. The whole family are on facebook,whatsapp,twitter etc so not a real surprise that they'd have their address out there somewhere, was on business services - THE SUN website.

I on the other hand I have no social media and my sole trading website , which is town specific, doesn't state my address so I thought I would be pretty hard to find.... but ....name search and up pops
COMPANIES HOUSE!

Surely they are breaking data protection , not only is my full address listed but also my full name and DOB.
I dissolved my company in 2015 through a change of my priorities , no debt - no creditors, and my companies registered address was listed as my accountants office so I presumed I was safe from any data being exposed , how wrong.
Is there a way I can get this removed.
I've had suspicious activity showing on my credit reports over the last few years so could this have been through a search on me.
I had to spend several months phoning & emailing numerous companies to prove against their reports on me , finally after resolving these issues and restoring my credit worthiness I find this.
I can't believe they are allowed to show this detailed info.

[meatballs]

They are exempt due to it being a statutory requirement to publish data concerning companies etc.

You'd have to read the companies act to work out how long Companies House are obliged to publish info about a closed down company?

[donkmeister]

The full DOB is surprising, I've seen month/year on CH entries for DoB but never day/month/year. Is that sufficient for ID theft?

[FWIW]

donkmeister said:

The full DOB is surprising, I've seen month/year on CH entries for DoB but never day/month/year. Is that sufficient for ID theft?

It’s optional.

Re. The address, you can use your accountants for registered office address.

[anonymous-user]

Data protection law has driven people insane. People think that their addresses are State Secrets.

FFS, the postie knows your address.

First World Problems vol 947.

[ScoobyChris]

Breadvan72 said:

FFS, the postie knows your address.

Aaron may disagree with you there!

Chris

[Chrisgr31]

indigostr said:

my sole trading website , which is town specific, doesn't state my address

What address does it give then? Fairly sure these days it is a requirement for websites to give an address

[ging84]

yeah clearly a breach, the government was social engineered into passing legislation that made this information public, some time in the last 200 years.

[Sheepshanks]

It’s relatively recent that Directors home addresses don’t have to be shown.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Sunday 22 December 09:33

[768]

It's annoying, when I was first listed a load of mobile phone contracts were taken out using my name and address (and possibly DoB).

[anonymous-user]

Usually when you register as a director you are given the choice as to whether your personal address for service is given as ft he registered office or another address.

CH is obliged to keep a public record of companies and officers/members, I presume including beyond the time a company has ceased to exist.

Nothing to see here.

[Helicopter123]

meatballs said:

They are exempt due to it being a statutory requirement to publish data concerning companies etc.

You'd have to read the companies act to work out how long Companies House are obliged to publish info about a closed down company?

This.

[outnumbered]

Breadvan72 said:

Data protection law has driven people insane. People think that their addresses are State Secrets.

FFS, the postie knows your address.

First World Problems vol 947.

The combination of my address and DOB published by Companies House allowed someone to try to use my identity to open a whole slew of bank/CC accounts. Fortunately they weren't quite good enough at it to succeed.

So it's more serious than you're making out.

[anonymous-user]

So in other words, nothing happened. Very serious!

[outnumbered]

Breadvan72 said:

So in other words, nothing happened. Very serious!

It was a pain in the arse, and somewhat worrying at the time, and something I'd rather not have spent time dealing with.

If you're so dismissive, how about publishing your own UK address and DOB on here, since nothing serious can come of it ?

Edited by outnumbered on Sunday 22 December 19:08

[indigostr]

outnumbered said:

Breadvan72 said:

So in other words, nothing happened. Very serious!

It was a pain in the arse, and somewhat worrying at the time, and something I'd rather not have spent time dealing with.

If you're so dismissive, how about publishing your own UK address and DOB on here, since nothing serious can come of it ?

Edited by outnumbered on Sunday 22 December 19:08

Until you’re in this position of having your full name , dob and address unwittingly put out there for all to see you won’t know the st it can cause. I have spent months wondering how someone got my details after having credit card and loan applications in my name that I had not applied for, after much complaining I’m now blacklisted by barclaycard which I am more than happy about.
I‘ve had to set up alerts with credit agencies for any suspicious activity.

I now have reason to believe it was through C.H. that some of my details were found.
My details are on every return & report on C.H website, listed in pdf format for all to see. What was the point of having my accountants office as registered address if they’re happy to publish my own.


After reading up this afternoon I will have to pay companies house £55 per page I wish to have my address removed from but nothing atm about removing my dob. After 6 years of being dissolved my records will be removed from free to acces or view. Lots of unhappy business people out there. Reports daily to C.H of fraudulent use of this info. They now only list new directors month and year of birth but that doesn’t help with older companies and details.

[ging84]

It's a hard life being a director, don't know how we have the audacity to charge them a 19% corporate tax rate, we should be paying them for the great personal risks they are taking.

[Sheepshanks]

indigostr said:

Until you’re in this position of having your full name , dob and address unwittingly put out there for all to see you won’t know the st it can cause. I have spent months wondering how someone got my details after having credit card and loan applications in my name that I had not applied for,

Doesn't the success of this rely on someone having access to your mail?

[anonymous-user]

outnumbered said:

It was a pain in the arse, and somewhat worrying at the time, and something I'd rather not have spent time dealing with.

If you're so dismissive, how about publishing your own UK address and DOB on here, since nothing serious can come of it ?

Edited by outnumbered on Sunday 22 December 19:08

My address is Adwell Farm, Thame OX9 7DT, and I was born on 26 10 1962. Stop living in fear.

[ging84]

It's one thing to have your address published in relation to a legitimate business, but 30k snarky comments, I'm not so sure.