‘Wake-up call’ for UK financial firms as internal control failures drive £1bn fines Business UK financial services firms, which faced £1bn worth of fines since 2021 for internal control failings, should be “seriously concerned”, says the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIIA). More than half of the 97 Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) enforcement cases analysed by CIIA relate to firms “not getting the basics right”, with many linked [...]
UK payments system is deceptively complex Opinion Beneath every tap of your card is a complex web of payment systems you don't even notice – and we mustn't fall behind, writes Keith Douglas.
Mike Lynch estate blocked from appealing HPE damages ruling Tech The estate of the late British tech tycoon Mike Lynch has been refused permission to appeal a High Court ruling that found him liable to pay damages to Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) over its acquisition of Autonomy. Lawyers acting for Lynch’s estate had sought to challenge the 2022 judgment, which held Lynch and Autonomy’s former [...]
FCA hands Palantir sensitive data in AI crime push March 23, 2026 Britain’s financial watchdog is turning to AI to hunt down fraud, raising security questions over who gets to see and use sensitive data. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has awarded Palantir a three-month contract to analyse its internal intelligence systems which notably contain highly sensitive case files, in a bid to sharpen fraud detection. The [...]
Trust, not technology, is the real currency of financial services March 18, 2026 Fintechs are under pressure from outages, data leaks and rising fraud. True financial innovation should make systems safer, more transparent and more reliable for customers, says Nick Murray-Leslie Traditional banks and digital-first fintechs are locked in a battle for customers with much of the industry’s messaging still focused on AI, platforms and digital transformation. But [...]
Business bosses told to check details after Companies House glitch March 15, 2026 Business directors are urged to check their details after a major glitch on Companies House allowed people to edit the data of other firms, leaving them potentially exposed to fraud. On Friday, a tech glitch on the UK’s official corporate register permitted people to access other companies’ details by pressing the back key on the [...]
Social media giants must do more to stamp out scam ads March 10, 2026 Social media platforms must take greater responsibility for combating AI-fuelled Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, which is costing consumers and payment service providers millions, says Lord McNicol Online shopping is easy, convenient and sometimes dangerous. The arrival of AI has seen an explosion in fake advertising online and the UK has become a prime target [...]
Banks push for tech giants to share scam ad costs March 5, 2026 Social media companies are facing renewed calls to help pay for tackling online fraud, as the UK prepares to unveil its updated national fraud strategy. The Payments Association said platforms like Meta Platforms and X should take greater responsibility for scam adverts that appear on their sites, arguing they profit from the ads, while banks [...]
On this day: The collapse of Barings Bank February 26, 2026 On 26 February 1995, 31 years ago today, Baring Bank, one of the City’s most venerable institutions, was declared insolvent after a massive fraud by one of its employees, Nick Leeson, recalls Eliot Wilson In the 1990s, following the wake of Big Bang and the influx of brash but wealthy, “Greed is good, greed is [...]
Gucci to Zara: Brands ramp up fight against domain ‘squatting’ January 23, 2026 Global legal disputes over ‘squatted’ web addresses rose to 6,282 cases last year as big companies, especially fashion brands, are fighting back against counterfeit goods. According to data by Mathys & Squire shared with City AM, disputes over web addresses are up 49 per cent in five years (from 4,204) and 128 per cent in [...]