FCA Issues 11 Warnings on Unauthorised and Clone Firms in Seven Days

The UK’s financial watchdog has flagged 11 unauthorised or clone firms in a single week, urging consumers to check its Warning List before handing over money or personal details.

Eleven warnings in seven days. That’s the figure the Financial Conduct Authority posted this week, flagging unauthorised or clone firms that have no legal permission to offer financial services in the UK. The FCA’s Warning List — a publicly searchable database of firms and individuals barred from operating here — already holds hundreds of entries, and the regulator updates it continuously as new concerns emerge.

The 11 warnings aren’t an outlier, but they sit at the lower end of recent weekly totals. The figures show that separate seven-day periods in 2026 have produced warning counts of 17, 19, 20, 23, 28, 38 and 75, suggesting the pace of unauthorised activity fluctuates sharply week to week.

Clone firms are a particular concern. These are fake entities that copy the name, address, and registration details of genuine authorised firms — fraudsters then contact consumers pretending to work for the legitimate company. The FCA warns that fraudsters may also impersonate the regulator itself, using fake FCA communications and cloned websites to appear credible.

For Kent residents, the risk is real. Unauthorised firms typically operate online, through social media, cold calls, emails, and messaging apps — geography is no barrier. Anyone in the county considering an investment platform, cryptoasset scheme, high-yield savings offer, or forex trading product should verify the firm’s status before engaging.

Kent County Council Trading Standards and local Citizens Advice services can also advise residents who suspect they’ve been approached by a scam firm.

Key information

• Check any firm or individual on the FCA’s Financial Services Register and Firm Checker before investing or sharing personal details
• Cross-reference against the FCA Warning List for unauthorised and clone firm alerts — search the firm name to see whether a warning has been published
• Report suspected unauthorised or clone firms directly to the FCA; reports help the regulator update warnings and protect other consumers
• Use the hashtag #FCAWarnings on social media to find the FCA’s latest weekly alerts via its official account @TheFCA