Latest financial scams and frauds

Remember: it is completely free to make a claim through FSCS – we will never ask you for money. If in doubt, contact us by email or phone.

Common FSCS scam warning signs

Be cautious if you receive a call, email, text message or social media message that includes one or more of the following:

Suspicious contact methods

• An unexpected cold call from a number that is not an official FSCS contact number (e.g. 0208..., 0330...) Please also be aware that scammers can manipulate the telephone system to make their calls appear to originate from genuine FSCS numbers such as 0800 678 1100 or 0207 741 4100 (Caller ID spoofing). If you are at all unsure hang up and contact us so that we can verify the contact is genuine.
• Calls or messages via WhatsApp, Telegram or other messaging apps.
• Contact mentioning that your claim will be passed to a third party for administration.

• Requests for an upfront payment.
• Requests for fees relating to:
  • Trade Reference Licences
  • Anti-Money Laundering (AML) licences
  • Claim administration costs

• Requests to share your screen or install software such as AnyDesk.

• References to a URN (Unique Reference Number) or CRN (Customer Reference Number).

• Any mention of:
• Capital reimbursement
• Compensation entitlement notifications
• Compensation relating to cryptoassets (FSCS does not cover cryptoassets).

• Suggestion that you can receive a higher level of compensation by making a payment.

Suspicious emails and firms

• Email addresses containing random numbers, unusual wording or misspellings.
• Email addresses that do not end in @fscs.org.uk.
• Firms that are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Scammers may also impersonate legitimate businesses. Always check the FCA Register and review any warnings about cloned firms before responding.

Official FSCS emails only end with @fscs.org.uk.

However, fraudsters can sometimes spoof email addresses to make them appear genuine. Even if an email appears to come from an FSCS address, remain cautious and verify it independently by contacting us if anything seems unusual.

Latest scams

05 December 2025 - scam messages offering compensation 

We’ve received reports of scammers claiming to be from FSCS offering compensation for customers of MH Carbon Ltd and various wine investment companies. These communications have not been sent by FSCS.

Please visit our failed firms page for the latest information on the latest firm failures, and for more information on how to make a claim. 

04 September 2025 - Scam email for London Court Ltd

We’ve been alerted of an email scam informing targets of a compensation entitlement notification for London Court Ltd.

The email advises customers to get in touch to proceed with their claim on this phone number: 0330 133 6175.

This is not FSCS’s official phone number and the email has not been sent by FSCS. Customers who wish to make a claim for London Court Ltd, or who have an existing claim against the firm can view the latest updates on the London Court Ltd failed firm page. 

26 June 2025 - Scams letters claiming to be from FSCS

Customers are being targeted by scam letters using the old FSCS logo, from someone named Daniel Pritchard. This person does not work for FSCS, the letter is a scam and should be ignored.

If you’re ever unsure about a communication you’ve received, you can get in touch with us via our contact us page.

For more information on how to spot the warning signs of a scam, listen to episode 46 of our podcast. 

If you recieve any correspondence that's not genuine, consider reporting it to Report Fraud.