The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a final notice as to John Charles Burford.

The Authority has decided to make an order prohibiting Mr Burford from performing any function in relation to any regulated activity carried on by an authorised person, exempt person or exempt professional firm.

On 27 June 2025, Mr Burford pleaded guilty to, and was convicted of, the following offences:

1. One count of dishonestly making false representations to investors to make gain for himself or another contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.
2. Two counts of contravening the general prohibition by carrying on regulated activity when not an authorised person contrary to sections 23(1) and 400(1) of the Act; and
3. One count of communicating an invitation or inducement to engage in an investment activity contrary to section 25 of the Act.

Between January 2020 and December 2023, Mr Burford advised individuals on investments, by way of trading alerts through a paid subscription service. Those who subscribed received email alerts from him giving advice as to trading opportunities. However, this was regulated activity and could only be carried out by persons who had been authorised by the Authority.

Mr Burford had no such authorisation. In total he received in the region of £450,000 through these unlawful subscription services.

In 2020, Mr Burford decided to offer an investment scheme to the subscribers of his trading alerts. He advertised three investment funds, Tramline Fund One, Tramline Fund Two and Tramline Fund Three. It was understood by those investing in the three investment funds that all monies would be invested by him. Mr Burford received £936,559 from 101 investors but the total amount paid into the three accounts was just over £760,000.

Rather than use all the investors’ money to trade with, Mr Burford used a substantial proportion of it to purchase his own home and fund his lifestyle. The money that was traded was lost by Mr Burford. Mr Burford dishonestly misled investors as to the manner in which the money was to be used.

Thirty of those investors received back redemption payments in the sum of around £173,000, leaving a shortfall of over £763,000 between payments into the managed fund and payments investors received back. A total of 71 investors received nothing back at all.

When investors asked for return of funds, they were invariably given excuses and Mr Burford concealed the fact that the funds had diminished or been used by him as his personal money.

At the sentencing hearing, the judge made the following remarks regarding Mr Burford’s conduct:

• the misconduct was of a ‘sophisticated nature’, occurring ‘over a sustained period of time’ and impacted ‘over 100 investors, (and) much misery was caused to their lives.’
• ‘Rather than use all of that investors money to trade with, you used a substantial proportion of it to purchase your own house and fund your lifestyle. The money that was traded was lost by you.’
• Mr Burford’s actions ‘were fraudulent, in that you dishonestly misled investors as to the manner in which their money was to be used.’
• Mr Burford’s misconduct caused a ‘deep sense of betrayal’, for one victim and for another victim, the misconduct ‘knocked (their) confidence in trusting individuals.’

On 27 July 2026, a confiscation hearing took place at Southwark Crown Court where Mr Burford was ordered to pay £655,951.40 within three months or face a further prison sentence of up to five years. Together with earlier payments previously made by Mr Burford, the confiscation order results in 99% of the money originally invested being returned to the investors.

Taking into account the nature of the offences Mr Burford committed, the convictions arising from his participation, and his lack of fitness and propriety due to his dishonesty and lack of integrity, the Authority considers it is appropriate to prohibit Mr Burford from performing any function in relation to any regulated activity carried on by an authorised person, exempt person or exempt professional firm.

The prohibition order took effect on October 8, 2026.