Prestigious Offices Can Be Rented by the Month
Serviced offices allow a business to rent a desk, a meeting room or simply a postal address in a well-known building, often by the month. Genuine small firms use them for sound reasons, which is precisely why an impressive address tells you so little about the firm that uses one.
The FCA makes the same point in its own warnings: a firm on its Warning List may give a postal address that is wrong, or one that belongs to another business, so that its details look genuine.
The Same Prestigious Addresses Recur on the FCA Warning List
Several firms added to the FCA Warning List in October 2026 gave 1 Canada Square in Canary Wharf as their address, and two of them also gave the same street address in Frankfurt. Another gave Mayfair Place in central London.
The reputation of a building does not pass to everyone who writes its name on a letterhead, so the address deserves the same scrutiny as any other detail of the approach.
Compare the Address With the FCA Register and Companies House
Search the FCA Register for the firm and note the address on its entry. The address on the firm's letters and website should agree with the Register, and if it does not, ask the firm about the difference using the telephone number the Register shows.
For a UK company, Companies House records the registered office, where official post must reach the company. That address can be an accountant's office or a company formation agent rather than the place where the business is run, so a difference from the trading address is not, on its own, a cause for concern.
An Address Only Counts When the Other Details Agree
An address means most when you read it together with the firm's name, reference number, website, telephone number and the account you are asked to pay. A London address paired with an overseas telephone number, or two addresses in two countries with no explanation for either, deserves a closer look.
Before you transfer money, use your bank's Confirmation of Payee check to confirm that the account is held in the exact name of the firm you found on the Register. If an approach worries you, report it to the FCA on 0800 111 6768.
How MetaAshes Examines This
A MetaAshes assessment cross-references a firm's details against the official record in a single pass. For this question, the most relevant checks include:
- Registered office
- Registered address concentration
- Company existence and identity
- Official website on record
- Official telephone number on record
- Telephone number allocation
- FCA Warning List screening
- Payee name verification
Frequently Asked
Does a Canary Wharf or Mayfair address mean a firm is genuine?
No. Offices and postal addresses in well-known buildings can be rented by the month, and several firms on the FCA Warning List have given addresses of this kind.
Where can I check a firm's address?
The FCA Register shows the address of an authorised firm, and Companies House shows the registered office of a UK company. Compare both with the address you were given.
Can MetaAshes check a firm's address?
Yes. An assessment reads the registered office and the official record, and compares them with the contact and payment details you were given.
This guide is provided for general information and does not constitute financial or legal advice.