The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a warning about fundourselves.uk, identifying it as a clone of an FCA authorised firm. According to the regulator, fraudsters are copying the details of authorised firms to convince consumers that their operations are genuine.
The FCA stated that fundourselves.uk is not authorised but has been contacting people while pretending to be an authorised firm. The clone firm details published by the FCA are:
- Name: fundourselves.uk (Clone of FCA authorised firm)
- Address: Unit 1d, 36 Woodstock Grove, London, UNITED KINGDOM, W12 8LE
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: fundourselves.uk
Authorised firm being impersonated
The clone is impersonating FUND OURSELVES LIMITED, an FCA authorised firm with Firm Reference Number 729238. The authorised firm's address is listed as c/o Robert Young of Azets Holdings Limited, 2nd Floor Regis House, 45 King William Street, London, EC4R 9AN.
The FCA made clear that the genuine authorised firm has no connection with the clone firm operating under the name fundourselves.uk. The warning highlights the risk that consumers may confuse the unauthorised clone with the legitimate regulated entity due to the use of similar details.
Consumer protection implications
The FCA cautioned that consumers who deal with the clone firm will not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service. In addition, they will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), meaning they may have no recourse if something goes wrong with the services provided by the clone.
The regulator emphasised that fraudsters can use clone firms to obtain money or personal information by exploiting the reputation of genuine authorised firms. As a result, consumers may face financial loss or other harm if they engage with such entities.
FCA guidance to consumers
The FCA advises consumers to verify the details of any financial services provider before engaging with them. It recommends using the FCA Firm Checker to confirm whether a firm is authorised and to ensure that contact details match those listed on the FCA register.
The warning regarding fundourselves.uk forms part of the FCA's broader efforts to alert consumers to unauthorised and clone firms and to encourage the use of official verification tools when dealing with financial services providers.
