Investment Scams
Investment fraud cost UK consumers over £600m in 2023. From bogus bonds to fake green-energy schemes, fraudsters target savers, pensioners, and inexperienced investors with sophisticated, professional-looking pitches.
£612m
Lost to investment fraud in the UK in 2023
£17,500
Average loss per investment-fraud victim
4.8 ★
Trustpilot rating
Secure
Encrypted case vault
Overview
Investment fraud cost UK consumers over £600m in 2023. From bogus bonds to fake green-energy schemes, fraudsters target savers, pensioners, and inexperienced investors with sophisticated, professional-looking pitches.
Warning Signs to Watch For
- • A cold call, email, or social-media message offering an investment opportunity
- • High or guaranteed returns with little or no risk
- • Pressure to decide quickly or before a "deadline"
- • A firm not on the FCA register, or a clone of a real firm
- • Glossy brochures and websites but no audited accounts
- • Requests to invest through unusual payment methods (crypto, gold, escrow)
Common Investment Scam Types
- Bond fraud — fake "mini-bonds" or "corporate bonds" with promised returns of 8–12%
- Green-energy scams — solar, carbon credits, biofuel, EV-charging schemes
- Wine, whisky, and art investment fraud
- Property and overseas land schemes
- Crypto and trading platforms dressed up as managed investments
- Cloned regulated firms using the name and FCA reference of legitimate businesses
Your Recovery Options
Recovery depends on the scheme structure and your payment method. Card payments and bank transfers have the strongest routes through chargebacks, the CRM Code, and PSR reimbursement. If a regulated firm was involved (or a cloned one), the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) may pay up to £85,000. Where directors or intermediaries can be identified, civil action is often viable.
What To Bring Us
All contracts, brochures, emails, and bank statements showing the payments. Don't worry if you don't have everything — we can obtain records through subject access and disclosure procedures.
Our Approach
Assess
We review the scheme, contracts, and your communications to identify breaches and recovery routes.
Trace
We follow your funds through banks, crypto, and intermediaries to locate where they sit now.
Pursue
We file regulatory complaints, FSCS claims where applicable, and civil action against directors and intermediaries.
Recover
We negotiate settlements or pursue judgments to return your funds.