shell company
noun [ C ]
US /ˌʃel ˈkʌm.pə.ni/ UK /ˌʃel ˈkʌm.pə.ni/
a company that does not itself do or own anything, but is used to hide a person's or another company's activities, sometimes illegal ones:
He has several shell companies that allow him to circulate and launder money.
Fewer examples
The defendants are part of two separate crime networks that use shell companies to import counterfeit luxury goods.
Major exporters can shelter some overseas earnings from tax by funneling sales through offshore shell companies.
The indictment shows a five-year effort by company executives to set up three different shell companies.
Another popular offshore vehicle is the international business corporation, or IBC, which can be a mere shell company designed to keep the owner's identity secret.
