The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has charged three individuals with fraud in connection to a high-risk trading scheme targeting pension savings.
Kristofer McGuire, Keith Williamson, and Karla Walker face multiple charges, including fraud by false representation and fraudulent trading, for their alleged roles in persuading victims to invest in contracts for difference (CFDs).
FCA Charges Three Individuals over CFD Trading Pension Fraud
According to the FCA, victims were encouraged to invest their pensions in CFDs, which were then traded to generate large commissions for the accused, resulting in the near-total loss of the victims’ pension funds. The FCA alleges that McGuire, Williamson, and Walker falsely represented their clients as professional investors to a trading platform .
“The total known loss to victims is over £8 million,” the FCA commented.
The FCA's allegations cover activities between January 2015 and February 2023. Specifically, from January 2015 to June 2017, the three individuals allegedly made misleading representations to a CFD trading platform about their clients' qualifications as professional investors.
Additionally, between January 2015 and June 2016, Williamson and McGuire are accused of using detrimental trading strategies to generate excessive commissions from CFD trades, at the expense of investors.
McGuire faces further charges for allegedly making false statements to five individual investors from April 2016 to February 2023 to persuade them to invest through his firm, K&K Consult LTD.
Legal Proceedings and Consumer Guidance
The defendants are scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 7. The charges they face include fraud by false representation, which, under the Fraud Act 2006, can lead to a fine and up to 10 years' imprisonment. Fraudulent trading, as defined under the Companies Act 2006, carries similar penalties.
The FCA reminds that CFDs are known for their high risk, and 80% of customers lose money when investing in CFDs due to their leveraged nature. The FCA has implemented restrictions on the sale and marketing of CFDs to retail customers to mitigate consumer harm.
The FCA continues its efforts to combat investment and pension fraud as part of the ScamSmart awareness campaign. Last year, it tackled 43 unauthorized debt solution providers, shutting down 30 websites and social media accounts. In 2023, the FCA took action against over 10,000 misleading financial advertisements and promotions.
