The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) has brought 78 charges against the company Data Register for failing to display its company name and registration number in its correspondences - flouting rules under the Companies Act.

Data Register, formerly known as Company Register, had allegedly failed to display its company name and registration number in its correspondences with companies in November last year.

Acra said that since November last year, it has received more than 2,000 queries from the public about Data Register. The company had sent out letters requesting other companies to verify their details on their website. Some mistook Data Register for Acra and believed they were obliged to provide the information. Some also received invoices seeking payment for subscription services.

Acra put up two public alerts, on Nov 14 last year and Jan 16 this year, to clarify that it had no links to Data Register, and to advise the public to use its online filing system BizFile to input any information.

The authority has referred the case to the police's Commercial Affairs Department for investigation into the business activities of Data Register. Each breach under section 144 of the Companies Act warrants a maximum fine of $1,000.