FCA warns against Plus500 clone
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today issued a warning against Plus-500, a clone of FCA-authorized CFD broker Plus500.
The clone firm is not authorised or registered by the FCA but has been targeting people in the UK, claiming to be an authorised firm.
Clone firm details
- Plus-500 (Clone of FCA authorised firm)
- Telephone: +44 7476547304
- Email: admin@plus-500.ltd, admin@plus500.ltd
- Website: https://www.plus-500.ltd/ ; https://www.plus500.ltd/
FCA authorised firm details
- Firm Name: Plus500UK Ltd
- Firm Reference Number: 509909
- Address: 8 Angel Court, Copthall Avenue, London EC2R 7HJ, UNITED KINGDOM
- Telephone: +44 02038761641
- Email: compliance@plus500.co.uk
- Website: www.plus500.co.uk
Last week, the FCA cautioned about an “attack of the clone firms”.
The regulator noted recent Action Fraud data revealing that consumers reported losses of more than £78 million between January-December 2020. Throughout 2020, consumers reported average losses of £45,242 each when investing with fraudsters imitating genuine investment firms.
The ongoing financial impact of Covid-19 may also make people more susceptible to these types of clone scams, the FCA said.
Even the most experienced investor could be at risk. Three quarters (75%) of investors said they felt confident they could spot a scam. However, 77% admitted they did not know, or were unsure what a ‘clone investment firm’ was.
Clone firms are fake firms set up by scammers using the name, address and ‘Firm Reference Number’ (FRN) of real companies authorised by the FCA. Once set up, these fraudsters will then send sales materials linking to websites of legitimate firms to dupe potential investors into thinking they are the real firm when they are not.
The FCA is advising anyone considering an investment opportunity to check the Warning List of firms, which is updated daily, and not to deal with a firm that is not authorised by the FCA. The specific details of a firm, such as the telephone number and website address can be verified on the FCA Register.