Scams and fraudsters

Fraud attempts can often involve a criminal trying to impersonate someone who works for a trusted organisation to get your personal financial details. There are many signs of fraud, some more obvious than others. Most commonly they'll 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.

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.

It's completely free to make a claim through FSCS – we will never ask you for money. If in doubt, contact us by email or phone.

Latest scams

3 May 2024 - Phishing letters

3 May 2024 - Phishing letters

We have been made aware of scam correspondence mentioning one of a number of insolvent or dissolved companies inviting the recipient to call a telephone number and lodge a claim. The correspondence appears on FSCS headed paper and includes forms similar to those issued by the Insolvency Service.

The insolvent companies named in the paperwork are:

Access Commercial Investors 4 Plc
Essex and London Properties Ltd
Shenton International Bonds Plc
Walsham Chalet Park Ltd

FSCS has not issued the letters and does not anticipate corresponding with members of the public about these companies, with the potential exception of Walsham Chalet Park Ltd.

The letters often appear to have been signed by Anthony Stedman, who is not employed by FSCS, or Richard Parkin, who is a non-executive director on the FSCS Board. FSCS does not issue forms on Insolvency Service headed paper, such as a proof of debt form or CAU103. We do not charge claimants a fee for our services.

Please check any correspondence you receive mentioning these businesses is genuine before responding. If the correspondence is not genuine, then you might report it to Action Fraud who can be contacted via their website at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/.

14 February 2024 - Phishing letters and calls

14 February 2024 - Phishing letters and calls
This month several people have reported receiving calls about investments into Dolfin Financial claiming to be from FSCS.

Additionally, others have received fraudulent letters and emails using the FSCS logo and the name Oakwell Capital Partners, signed off by an individual who claims to be the Head of Compliance but in fact does not work for FSCS.

We believe these calls and letters are the work of scammers who are trying to extract personal and financial details in what are known as ‘phishing’ scams. Their next step would be to use this information to scam you out of money or to make you visit a website that allows them to access your phone or computer.

FSCS is a free service and we would never ask you for money. If you’re in any doubt as to the authenticity of any communication from FSCS, call us on 0800 678 1100. We’re always happy to talk.

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 scam

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.

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

If you've 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.
If you've received what you think is a scam letter, report it to the Royal Mail via the dedicated scam page on its website.

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

Learn more about other financial scams that could affect you.

What can you do to protect yourself from scams?

Concerned that an investment or pension is a scam? Check the details of the investment and whether the provider is genuine on the FCA's website.

The Little Booklet of Investment Scams (PDF 1,105 kb) from UK Finance and the Metropolitan Police contains 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.