The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has issued a crucial alert to companies and stakeholders across India, warning them about a fraudulent circular that is being actively circulated. The fake document falsely promises relaxations in regulatory compliance, creating potential confusion and risk for businesses.
Ministry Identifies Fraudulent Communication
On Friday, the MCA took to the social media platform X to publicly denounce the fake notice. The ministry clarified that it has not issued any circular providing relaxations for additional fees or extensions for filing financial statements under the prevailing Companies Law. The fraudulent document in circulation was identified as a counterfeit General Circular No. 08/2025 dated 26th December, 2025.
This fake circular deceptively claims to offer an extension of timelines and a waiver of additional fees for the submission of Financial Statements and Annual Returns as mandated by the Companies Act, 2013. The MCA's swift clarification aims to prevent companies from being misled, which could result in missed deadlines and subsequent penalties.
Official Advisory for Stakeholders
In its official communication, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs strongly advised all stakeholders, including company directors, chartered accountants, and company secretaries, to exercise extreme caution. The ministry explicitly stated that stakeholders should not rely upon or act on such fake or misleading communications.
To ensure compliance and avoid legal repercussions, the MCA has directed everyone to seek information only from its official channels. For all authentic and updated regulatory information, stakeholders must refer exclusively to the communications published on the ministry's official website: mca.gov.in.
Importance of Vigilance in Corporate Compliance
This incident highlights the critical need for vigilance in corporate governance and compliance. Relying on unverified sources for crucial regulatory information can lead to severe consequences, including financial penalties for non-compliance. The MCA's alert serves as a reminder for all entities regulated under the Companies Act to double-check the authenticity of any regulatory update, especially those received via informal channels like email or social media forwards.
The ministry's proactive step in debunking this fake circular helps maintain the integrity of the corporate filing system and protects businesses from potential scams. Stakeholders are reminded that the official MCA portal remains the single source of truth for all filings, notifications, and circulars.
