Intermediaries Borrowers Investors About Contact HOME LATEST FEATURED POPULAR BORROW INVEST ADVICE TECH Search July 20, 2020 Warning for customers: identifying Clone firms It is important to be vigilant when dealing with financial firms that you have not previously worked with, especially firms or individuals that contact you out of the blue. Sadly, fraudsters are more active now than ever. A new tactic that has come to light involves scammers using the name, ‘firm registration number’ (FRN) and actual address of firms authorised by the FCA to imply they are genuine. This is called a ‘clone firm’. Fraudsters from clone firms typically contact people by cold-calling individuals in an attempt to sell personal loans, promote shares, property or other investment opportunities that are most likely non-existent. Remember; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. These scammers may use the names of genuine LendInvest companies and employees, including the FRN issued by the FCA. Please note: LendInvest provides property finance only, we do not provide personal unsecured loans. If you suspect you may have been contacted by one of these fraudulent firms, please run a quick search on the FCA’s website to check the genuine firm details against those flagged as the clone firms that are being used to defraud people: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings/lendinvest-loans-limited-clone Take steps to protect yourself Request the name of the person and organisation that is contacting you Check the Financial Services Register at www.fca.org.uk to ensure they are an authorised firm Use the details on the FCA Register to contact the firm Call the FCA Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768 if there are no contact details on the Register or you are told they are out of date Search the FCA list of unauthorised firms and individuals to avoid doing business with at www.fca.org.uk/consumers/scams Check the products and services available at LendInvest by visiting our site at https://www.lendinvest.com/borrow/ Verify LendInvest websites and contact details by visiting https://www.lendinvest.com/about/contact-us/ Don’t trust hyperlinks to email addresses or websites. The hyperlink description can be used to disguise its true origin. Just hover over the link to find the underlying URL or use an online URL expansion tool to check if it is valid How to report a scam If you suspect you have fallen victim to a scam, it is important you take the following actions to protect yourself where possible and make the relevant authorities aware: You may be able to contact your bank or the police (by calling 101) – particularly if you have transferred any money within the last 24 hours We would encourage you to report it to Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/loan-scams If you are approached about a scam or you believe that you have been a victim of fraud, you should inform the FCA using their fraud reporting form at: www.fca.org.uk/consumers/report-scam-unauthorised-firm Citizens Advice offer support information: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/get-help-dealing-with-the-effects-of-scams/ Share this article: Posted by Leigh Rimmer RELATED POSTS November 16, 2021 Stimulating increased yields and profits with high LTV refurbishment finance November 11, 2021 Case study: £450k bridge completed in 2 weeks after submitting deal in broker portal November 10, 2021 Offering the highest rental yields in the country; opportunities for property investors in Scotland Intermediaries Submitting business Calculators Resources Portal login Borrowers Products How it works Resources CBILS Payment deferrals Investors Individuals Institutions Investor log in Shareholder centre About Our story Blog Careers FAQs Media centre ESG Contact General Follow us This website is operated by LendInvest plc. All arrangements relating to the management of investments in alternative investment funds are undertaken by LendInvest Funds Management Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 624223). LendInvest Funds Management Limited is a private limited company and LendInvest plc is a public limited company, each registered in England and Wales (No. 07667749 and 8146929 respectively) at 8 Mortimer Street, London, W1T 3JJ. For investors, income and capital repayments are not guaranteed. Your capital is at risk. For borrowers, borrowing through LendInvest involves entering into a mortgage contract secured against property. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Privacy policy Terms & conditions Your privacy matters We use cookies to offer you a better experience. To understand what data we collect you can access our privacy policy and cookies policy. You can also adjust your cookie settings or confirm your consent by clicking the accept button. Adjust cookies settings Accept The cookies we use: