Scams and fraudsters

Fraud attempts can often involve a criminal trying to impersonate someone who works for a trusted organisation, such as FSCS, to get your personal financial details.

It's completely free to make a claim through FSCS – we will never ask you for money.

There are many signs of fraud, some more obvious than others. Most commonly they will involve:

  • A cold call.
  • A mention of 'guaranteed returns'.
  • A request for an upfront payment.
  • An email address that is filled with random numbers or is misspelt. 
  • A company that is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Check the FCA's register here.

Scammers can also use the name of a legitimate firm to try and get you to part with your money. Always check the FCA register for any warnings about cloned firms.

Latest scams

3 November 2023 - Phishing scam
We’re aware of a phishing attempt involving a link that, when clicked, takes the user to what looks like the FSCS homepage. If you see this link (camsharepdf.com) please don’t click on it and always be mindful of clicking unknown email links. Scammers can create fake log in screens to steal your username and password details. Please always contact us directly if you’re ever unsure if a link or email is from us.

19 October 2023 - Vishing scam
FSCS has been made aware of a vishing scam. ‘Vishing’ is where the scammer uses a fake caller ID profile to claim the call is coming from a trusted source. The scammer will then try to get personal confidential information, such as bank details, to make unauthorised purchases or withdrawals from that person’s bank account.

If you have any doubts as to the authenticity of a call from FSCS, hang up and call us back on a different device.

17 October 2023 - WMSCS / Wealth Management Service Compensation Scheme
We are aware of a fraudulent website using images and information copied from FSCS. This website is not related to or part of FSCS. Our webpages start with the URL www.fscs.org.uk and email communications will always come from the @fscs.org.uk domain.

If you’re ever unsure that a letter or email from FSCS is genuine, please get in touch by using the information on our Contact us page.

29 August 2023 - LCF
Letters are in circulation on FSCS headed paper. They’re encouraging LCF customers to get in touch so that they may get compensation following the liquidation of LCF assets. These letters are not coming from FSCS. This is a scam and LCF customers should ignore the letters.

If you’re ever unsure that a letter or email from FSCS is genuine, contact us directly using the information on our Contact us page.

6 July 2023 - Stoneford Holdings 
There's been an increase in people being contacted by someone claiming to be from Stoneford Holdings and that for a fee he can relase their compensation. It's a scam, and the FCA is aware of it too.

10 May 2023 - Mexican/Spanish financial scams
A number of Spanish-speaking scammers are using FSCS branding. FSCS is free to use and will never ask for money.

27 October 2022 - Bank of England email scam
An email is currently circulating offering Bank of England fixed-rate bonds. This is a scam - the Bank of England doesn't issue bonds.

7 October 2022 - Bitcoin scam
An individual claiming to represent FSCS's insurance team and calling themselves Martin Tromp is currently operating a Bitcoin scam, targeting people in Greece (although they may also be targeting people in other locations). FSCS does not protect Bitcoin or any other cryptoassets, and Martin Tromp is not associated with FSCS. These emails are a scam and do not come from FSCS. 

You can contact us to be sure you are dealing with the real FSCS. FSCS also has a webpage about Bitcoin at Cryptoassets – are they covered, and what's the risk?

3 March 2022 – Araminta Ratliff email scam
We have been made aware of an email sent from “Mrs. Araminta Ratliff” which claims to be from FSCS. The address used ends with '@fscsclaimunit.co.uk' and the email offers to make a payment in US Dollars (USD$) for “PART PAYMENT funds” if you complete and return a payment registration form. We can confirm that this email has not come from FSCS – please do not give out any financial information. You can contact us to be sure you are dealing with the real FSCS.

2 February 2022 - Verena Black German email scam
A spate of emails from "Verena Black" claiming to be from FSCS and offering compensation is in circulation and has been since autumn 2021. Do not respond to them! Email us to be safe: enquiries@fscs.org.uk

8 June 2021 - Consumers from Saudi Arabia should beware of letters appearing to be from FSCS and offering to release a compensation payment once taxes are paid. FSCS does not charge consumers nor require tax payments, deal in foreign currency nor is actively reaching out to Saudi nationals. You can contact us to be sure you are dealing with the real FSCS.

Beware of emails from “Dr. Colin Clarke”, using a spoofed version of the address claims@fscs.org.uk and a US phone number, and saying that you are entitled to compensation. This identity is fake.

4 June 2021 - AJK and European-language scammers selling fake FSCS compensation. Beware of fake or cloned firms trying to sell you FSCS compensation to recover "lost" investments. Recent UK scams include a firm called AJK – see the FCA's warning.

European customers are being targeted in Italian and other languages by fake personas such as "Johnatan Narracci" and "Laura Cruder". Don’t hesitate to contact us before signing any contract or handing over any money to a firm regarding FSCS compensation.

13 May 2021 - Beware of contact or documents from “Elisabeth Schlepphorst”, “Ronnie Johnson”, “Monica Gonzalez” or other Italian-speaking scammers claiming to be from FSCS and offering you compensation! Email us to be safe: enquiries@fscs.org.uk

Fai attenzione ai contatti o ai documenti di "Elisabeth Schlepphorst", "Ronnie Johnson", "Monica Gonzalez" o altri truffatori di lingua italiana che affermano di provenire da FSCS e ti offrono un risarcimento! Scrivici per sicurezza: enquiries@fscs.org.uk

19 April 2021 - Fake FSCS decision letters – If you’ve received an unexpected letter saying you will be sent compensation from FSCS, please check with us. Scammers are sending out fake FSCS decision letters using fictitious or cloned company names (e.g. Hazel Holdings) and offering compensation regarding firms and/or investments not protected by FSCS. Signs to look for include missing claim reference numbers, incorrect dates, and sloppy formatting.

5 March 2021  - Beware of contact from "Maria Pettersson" or other German-speaking scammers claiming to be from FSCS and offering you compensation! Email us to be safe: enquiries@fscs.org.uk

Hüten Sie sich vor Kontakten von "Maria Pettersson" oder anderen deutschsprachigen Betrügern, die behaupten, von FSCS zu stammen und Ihnen eine Entschädigung anbieten! Mailen Sie uns, um sicher zu gehen: enquiries@fscs.org.uk

15 January 2021 - GPG investors targetted by scammers

 

What can you do to protect yourself from scams? 

If you are concerned that an investment or pension is a scam, you can check the details of the investment and whether the provider is genuine on the FCA's website.

UK Finance and the Metropolitan Police have produced the Little Booklet of Investment Scams (PDF 1,105 kb) which gives useful advice on how to protect yourself from investment scams.

Metropolitan Police videos

The Metropolitan Police has produced a series of videos on how to stay safe while using online services, and the sort of scams criminals use.

Click the 'Play' button to watch the scams video, or go to the Metropolitan Police site to watch the full set of videos.

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How scammers have used FSCS in the past

Here are some examples of how scammers have mentioned FSCS in order to make themselves seem legitimate:

  • A fake website which claimed to represent FSCS and asked people to register a claim.
  • An email scam which promised a high-value payment from FSCS. The scammers used the reference SRF064 and promised a $5.7m payment and tried to entice people to provide personal information.
  • An email asking for a fee for FSCS services.

If you’re suspicious about any email, text message or phone call from someone claiming to be from FSCS, please don't give out any personal financial information.

Emails with a different ending such as @zoho.com are not from FSCS.

Official FSCS emails end with @fscs.org.uk. However, it is possible for scammers to make it look like they have an official FSCS email address, so you should still be careful even if the email address ends in @fscs.org.uk.

If in doubt, contact us by email or phone.

What to do if you think you've been a victim of fraud

  • If you have given out your information and suspect fraud, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
  • To let us know about a suspected fraud involving FSCS, please contact us.

FSCS takes the privacy of your data extremely seriously and does not give information about individuals to third parties. You can read our privacy policy here.

Learn more about other financial scams that could affect you.