Contact us

If you're based outside the UK and think you’ve been scammed, please speak to your local police and home state regulator in the first instance. You can find contact details via the International Organization of Securities Commissions. We can't help you get your money back.

You might also like to report the scam to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.

If you're targeted by scammers, you're at greater risk of being targeted again, potentially by recovery room scammers who pretend to be legitimate firms offering to recover your lost funds.

How to protect yourself from scams >

If you feel like you’ve been treated unfairly by a financial business, or if you’re unhappy with a financial service, you have the right to complain. 

The firms we authorise must have a process in place for resolving complaints and must respond to you within set deadlines. If you’re unhappy with the firm's decision, or you don't hear from them in the right timeframe, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be able to help.

The Financial Ombudsman is a free, independent service for settling disputes between financial services firms and their customers. It can deal with complaints about a wide range of issues, from pet insurance to stocks and shares.

Find out how to complain > 

If you want to complain about us, or another regulator, you can do so online. 

If you want to report wrongdoing in your workplace, find out about our whistleblowing process. 
 

Unfortunately, fraudsters are using FCA logos, staff names and other information in an attempt to scam individuals and organisations. We have measures in place to prevent fraudsters copying and using our email addresses. But they may use similar email addresses to make their emails appear genuine.

We send emails from addresses ending in: @fca.org.uk

Remember:

• We don't have access to your accounts or financial products.
• We don't offer recovery services for money lost in scams.
• We won't ask for upfront fees.
• We won't ask you to create a wallet or account.
• We don't use WhatsApp or other messaging services.
• We don't use automated calling systems.
• We don't collect debts, or take action against consumers on behalf of firms.
• FCA employees will not share their photo ID, for example a passport or FCA ID badge, to prove they work for the FCA.
• FCA employees are not listed on our Financial Services Register (this is a record of the firms and individuals we authorise or register).

Find out more about fake FCA communications >

In the UK, almost all firms that provide financial services must be authorised or registered by us. Being authorised means that firms must meet certain standards and have our permission to provide certain products and services.

Find out when you should use the Financial Services Register or FCA Firm Checker, what it means if you're using an appointed representative, and what to do if a firm is unauthorised.

How to check a firm or individual is authorised >

You might also want to check the FCA Warning List to find details of unauthorised firms and individuals that we're aware of that aren't allowed to operate in the UK.