Company change email authority should be checked before acting on an unfamiliar sender’s request. A message may contain accurate company details without coming from someone entitled to give instructions. Preserve the request and verify the person, authority and precise change through an established company contact.
Separate identity from authority
Record the sender address, date, company and requested action. Ask whether the person is already an approved contact and what they are authorised to instruct. An employee who normally forwards invoices may not have authority to approve a director change or release company records.
Do not rely only on a display name, copied signature block or familiar logo. Use a contact route already held in the company’s authorised records rather than a new telephone number supplied in the questionable message.
Clarify the instruction independently
Ask the known contact to confirm the requested action and who will approve it. Avoid forwarding sensitive attachments to a large group while seeking recognition of the sender. Keep any personal documents within the approved secure process.
A confirmed sender still needs a clear instruction. Identify the relevant company, particulars, effective event and supporting records. The secretary should assess the actual filing or corporate documentation required; a brief email is not automatically the complete approval pack.
Example: a new address asks for an urgent officer update
A message claims to come from an overseas director and asks for an immediate change to company records. Verify the request through the director’s existing contact route and check the supporting evidence. Do not treat urgency as a reason to skip the authority check.
Record the decision and next step
If the request is confirmed, retain the confirmation and route the action to the responsible secretary. If it remains uncertain, record the gap and escalate through the company’s agreed process. Do not silently mark it rejected or completed without an accountable decision.
Keep the control proportionate
Use an instruction log showing the request, verifier, approval and outstanding documents. ACRA’s update guidance identifies reportable changes; this practical check helps establish who is asking the company to make one. Review access separately if a suspicious request reveals a broader security issue.
Related practical guidance
For the surrounding records and responsibilities, see maintaining statutory records, the company secretary role, company recordkeeping.
Official guidance: ACRA company guidance.
Help with your company records
For corporate secretarial and company administration support, contact Raffles Corporate Services at [email protected] or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. Tell us which records or process need attention so we can discuss the relevant next steps.
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