FCA Issues Fresh Warning Against Seven Unauthorised Firms, Including High-Risk Clones of Deutsche Ba

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a new round of warnings against seven firms operating within the financial sector without proper authorization. The alerts cover a range of threats, from entirely unregistered entities promoting investment services to highly sophisticated clone operations impersonating globally recognized institutions.

The UK regulator emphasized that these firms are actively targeting consumers in the UK, urging potential investors to exercise extreme caution and verify regulatory status before depositing any funds.

The Impersonation Threat: Clones of Major Institutions

The most serious category of threat involves clone firms, which attempt to steal money by masquerading as genuine, FCA-authorised companies. The fraudsters mix real details of legitimate firms with false contact information to lure investors.

The FCA confirmed two high-profile cloning attempts:

• Deutsche Bank Wealth Management (Clone): Fraudsters are using the established name of Deutsche Bank, providing a fake Irish address (2nd Floor, 2 Grand Canal Square) and a fraudulent Irish telephone number (+353). The aim is clearly to co-opt the trust associated with the global banking giant.

• LionHawk Capital Management (Clone): This operation is also impersonating an FCA-authorized firm but is using non-UK addresses, listing locations in Mexico (including CDMX) and providing a Mexican telephone number (+52). This indicates an international effort to leverage the FCA's name while operating outside UK jurisdictions.

Unauthorized Investment and Crypto Schemes

In addition to the clone operations, the FCA identified five entities offering or soliciting financial services without the required permissions. These firms represent diverse activities, from traditional foreign exchange solicitation to cryptocurrency mining schemes:

• 247GlobalTrade: Claims an address in Los Angeles, USA, and operates via its website, targeting global investors despite lacking UK approval.
• FXAlchemy Investments: Listed a UK address in Morden, Surrey, and actively solicits business through its website and associated email address, support@moreduspay.com.
• EWP Group: Displays a broad digital footprint, utilizing dedicated websites (ewpgroup.co), landing pages (oakridge-lander.ewpgroup.co), and a presence on Facebook/Meta.
• BRNBMINERS / brnbminer.world: This entity is focused on cryptocurrency mining, listing an address in Sheffield, UK, and communicating through dedicated support and admin emails.
• marbocap.co.uk / marbocap.com: The firm lists multiple UK telephone numbers and email addresses, creating the impression of a regulated domestic service while operating unlawfully.

The FCA reminded consumers that dealing with unauthorized firms means investors are highly unlikely to have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) or be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if the firm fails or proves to be fraudulent.