13 February, 2020 | AtoZ Markets – Scammers usually mix authentic information they get from legitimate sources with their fake details. They are very concerned about copying the same address details from the target company or broker. The FCA has drawn attention to this type of practice that scammers and fraudsters generally follow. It includes copying the registration data of the cloned company so that they appear credible in the eyes of traders and entrepreneurs.
FCA Clone Firm Warning
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned local investors to beware of a clone broker called ATUK or ATFX. It is a clone of the financial services group AT Global Markets (UK) Limited. It said the main tactic of the scammers was to pretend that they had the necessary authorizations to operate.
To this end, ATUK was trying to spoof the names and other legal information of AT Global Markets. It tried to convince the investor that they are the authorized company.
ATUK (Clone of FCA Authorised Firm)
- Address: Unit G25 Waterfront, Studios 1 Dock Road, London
- Email: cs.gm@atfx-uk.com; cs.gm@atuk.com
- Website: atfx-uk.com
AT Global Markets (FCA Authorised Firm)
- Firm Name: AT Global Markets (UK) Limited
- Firm Reference Number: 760555
- Address: 32 Cornhill, London, EC3V 3SG, United Kingdom
- Email: compliance@atfx.com
- Website: www.atfx.com/uk
Besides, the ATFX clone had also taken advantage of its misleading name to solicit traders based in the UK. The company identifies itself as a well-known online trading company under false pretenses. It also operated without authorization. Consumers are thus deceived into thinking that they are dealing with a regulated entity. It is a major violation of UK law.
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The FCA has said in recent statements that it is seeing an increasing number of cases of this problem and that currency brokers are particularly vulnerable. The FCA pointed out that a common feature of fraud is the claim of earnings too good to be real. It is often in place with this type of scam too. Earlier, FCA also added to its warning list the clone firm Goldmans Banc.
In its statement, the FCA warned the public against clone companies - fraudulent entities that copy the contact details of legal companies, such as their name, their website. They also copy their addresses or business reference numbers to make investors believe they represent the real business. The regulatory authority added:
"Be aware of scammers may give other false information or mix it up with correct information about the registered firm."
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