UK FCA Warns Investors Over Fake Emails

Fake emails purporting to be from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ) have been sent to thousands of potential market participants around the world, according to an FCA statement.

The London Summit 2017 is coming, get involved! [gptAdvertisement] The mass email scam appears to be from webmaster@fca.org.uk. The regulator has also alerted investors to other fake emails entitled ‘FCA business update’, ‘Blacklisted FX firms’ and ‘Overdue balance’ which appeared to be sent from fca.updates@fca.org.uk and fcafees@fca.org.uk on May 9, 2017. It also added that fake emails were sent from press.office@fca.org.uk with the subject ‘FCA Regulation 2017 on 16 December 2016.

Additional cases included fraudsters sending fake emails from fca.updates@fca.org.uk on 21 March 2017, and from webmaster@fca.org.uk back on 5 January 2017.

Typically, the fraudsters use special software to make the message appear genuine. Recipients are often invited to click on a link that appears to take them to the watchdog’s website. Instead, they go to a false website that tries to steal sensitive information from those targeted, which can be used later without their knowledge to commit fraud.

In a notification on its website, the FCA recommends that recipients delete the scam emails without opening them. The FCA has provided details on how to identify spoof emails in a dedicated section on its website.