deVere United Kingdom flags up clone scam
deVere United Kingdom is filing a second report with the UK financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as it has fallen victim to a cloning scam for a second time this year.
The action comes as a significant number of people, of who we have recently become aware, have been approached by an unauthorised bogus firm, deliberately pretending to be deVere United Kingdom.
It’s not just deVere United Kingdom that has been affected by such a scam – and it’s deeply alarming to see how far these clone firms will go to rake in as much money as they can, riding on the back of legitimate and highly respected financial advisory and investment companies’ professional reputations. They take on company names and addresses, set up websites and business stationery, and even use names of genuine advisers, amongst other methods, to appear like the reputable business they are attempting to mimic.
Real danger of cloning firms
Victims of these cloning scams could well lose their entire life savings. The firms are completely unauthorised and unregulated, therefore their customers would not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service, or indeed any official watchdog or regulator.
Of course, the genuine financial advisory and wealth management firms can also suffer as a result of these swindlers. deVere United Kingdom has a first-class reputation in the industry and beyond for exceptional business practice, and scams such as this could make would-be investors anxious, and prevent people from seeking the professional financial advice that could ultimately make the difference of being able to reach their financial goals or not.
Call to action
There are a few simple ways to help evade being hoodwinked by these clone firms, as recommended by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA):
– Make sure the firm and financial advisers are properly regulated by checking on the FCA register
– If you’ve been contacted by a firm, call them back and request references and other company details
– Double check any given details with Companies House and directory enquiries
– Ensure the firm is not on the FCA’s list of unauthorised companies
Anyone who believes that they could be a victim of a clone firm should contact the FCA and/or deVere United Kingdom as soon as possible.
deVere United Kingdom can be reached on: 0845 224 0035.
