What the FCA scam surge tells us about fraud in 2025 August 29, 2025 When fraudulent actors start posing as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) itself, you know the scam problem has entered a new phase. The UK’s chief financial regulator confirmed this week that it has already received nearly 5,000 reports of impersonation scams in the first half of 2025, with almost 500 victims tricked into handing over [...]
One time passcodes fuel rise in digital wallet fraud August 28, 2025 Warnings have emerged over the security of digital wallets, following a report by consumer group Which? found widespread use of easily compromised one-time passcodes (OTPs) by some banks, leaving customers increasingly open to fraud. The investigation, which surveyed fifteen high-street and digital banks, found that the majority are still relying on SMS OTPs to verify [...]
UK businesses set to face tougher compliance over fraud August 26, 2025 British businesses need to prepare for a “sea change” as the new powers to tackle fraud come into effect next Monday. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) director Nick Ephgrave told City AM last year that time was running short for businesses “to get their house in order” ahead of its new powers. From 1 September, [...]
Why the Online Safety Act has become a political nightmare August 11, 2025 The UK’s Online Safety Act, which came into force on 25th July, was conceived with the noble aim of protecting children from harmful online content. It mandates that web service providers implement “highly effective” age verification measures to prevent minors from accessing material that promotes suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, or abusive behaviour, as well as [...]
Exclusive: Ministry of Defence fends off fake invoices in battle against fraudsters July 22, 2025 The Ministry of Defence has dismissed more than a thousand invoices in each of the last three years in a warning sign that fraudsters are targeting government services. A Freedom of Information request has unveiled the extent of invoices given the red flag by the government and their total value. These can include claims for [...]
Fraud risk surges as leaked files expose UK firms July 22, 2025 London’s cyber watchdogs are sounding the alarm over a growing wave of corporate data breaches, as new research reveals the vast majority of leaked datasets now include sensitive financial and personal files, fueling a sharp rise in fraud, cybercrime and reputational risk. A landmark study published on Tuesday by Lab 1, an AI-driven cybersecurity platform, [...]
City watchdog and HMRC ‘stepping up enforcement’ as number of raids surge July 17, 2025 The number of raids carried out by the City regulators upticked in the last two years, while the pressure on HMRC to investigate tax fraud is showing in the numbers
Companies House crackdown: 11,500 firms struck off July 17, 2025 Over 11,000 UK firms have been struck off the Companies House register over the past year following a coordinated crackdown on corporate structures suspected of facilitating fraud, money laundering and other economic crime. The operation, led by the National Economic Crime Centre and supported by the National Crime Agency, Companies House, HMRC, and several UK [...]
Financial services firms dealt tens of millions in regulatory fines July 17, 2025 While deregulation may be the political mood, UK watchdogs are sharpening their swords as banking giants bleed millions in regulatory fines. In under just ten days, the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England handed out £74.9m worth of fines to a trio of UK financial services firms. Leading the pack, and most recently, was [...]
Barclays battles to take down scam impersonation website July 16, 2025 Barclays has battled to take down a scam impersonation website that could have stolen millions from its customers. The website, which called itself “Barclays Finance”, featured the Barclays logo and included “Barclays” in its domain name, was identified by City AM on Monday and claimed to be able to process money transfer payments on behalf [...]