Protecting yourself against scams
Fraudsters regularly target financial services firms and their customers. They may impersonate Benchmark, one of our Appointed Representatives, or a trusted third party in an attempt to obtain money, personal information, login credentials or other sensitive data.
If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, contact your bank or payment provider immediately. They may be able to stop a payment or help recover funds. You should also report the matter to Report Fraud (or the relevant law enforcement authority in your jurisdiction) as soon as possible.
We will continue to update this page with information about common fraud and scam typologies that may affect our customers and business.
Benchmark and its Appointed Representatives will not use social media messaging services or messaging applications to solicit investments, request payments, or obtain sensitive personal or banking information.
Common scams and fraud risks
Impersonation and Clone Firm scams - fraudsters may pretend to represent Benchmark, one of our Appointed Representatives, or another legitimate financial services firm. They may contact you by phone, email, text message or social media and attempt to convince you to transfer funds, disclose personal information or invest in fraudulent products. They often use copied branding, Always verify a firm's details using the FCA Register and independently sourced contact information before making any payment or sharing personal information.
Investment scams - fraudsters may advertise fake investment opportunities online or through social media platforms and messaging apps. These schemes frequently promise exceptionally high returns with little or no risk. You may be directed to a professional-looking website and asked to provide personal information, identity documents or funds. Criminals may even make small initial payments to build trust before encouraging larger investments. Remember: if an investment opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Bank account change requests - fraudsters may impersonate Benchmark, an Appointed Representative, a solicitor or another trusted party and request that monies are sent to a different bank account. Always verify any change of bank details by speaking directly to the relevant organisation using a trusted telephone number.
Mortgage and conveyancing fraud - criminals may intercept email communications during a property transaction and provide fraudulent bank account details for deposit or completion payments. Before transferring money, always confirm bank account details directly with your adviser, solicitor or conveyancer using a trusted telephone number. Never rely solely on information contained within an email.
Advance fee and recovery scams - fraudsters may claim they can recover money lost in a previous scam, release frozen assets, facilitate inheritance payments or secure compensation in exchange for an upfront fee. In many cases, these fraudsters target previous scam victims. Be cautious of anyone requesting payment in advance in exchange for recovering funds or assets.
Remain vigilant
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Have you received an unexpected phone call, email, text message or social media message regarding an investment, mortgage or financial opportunity?
2. Have you been promised unusually high returns with little or no risk?
3. Have you been asked to transfer funds urgently or without sufficient time to consider the proposal?
4. Have you been asked to provide personal, banking or security information unexpectedly?
5. Does the contact information differ from that published on an official website?
6. Have you been instructed not to discuss the opportunity with your adviser, family members or trusted contacts?
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, take extra care and carry out additional checks before proceeding.
Please remember that criminals are increasingly sophisticated and may use convincing websites, emails, telephone calls, text messages and social media profiles that appear genuine. At times they will also offer an initial payment to convince you to invest larger sums.
How to protect yourself
- Stop and think - Take time to review any request involving money, investments, mortgages, personal data or account information. Legitimate businesses will not pressure you into making immediate decisions.
- Verify independently - do not rely solely on contact information provided in an email, text message or social media message. Use independently sourced contact details to verify the identity of the individual contacting you, the legitimacy of the organisation, any bank account details you have been given, and any investment, mortgage or financial product being discussed.
- Protect your information - Never share passwords, security codes or authentication details with anyone. Be cautious when providing personal information, identity documents or banking details online.
- Act quickly - If you believe you have:
- Sent money to a fraudster;
- Shared bank account details;
- Provided login credentials; or
- Disclosed sensitive personal information,
contact your bank or payment provider immediately. You should also report the matter to Report Fraud and notify Benchmark where relevant.
How to verify a genuine email
Be alert when interacting with Benchmark via direct email, look out for slight misspellings of names and addresses, unusual addition of numbers and suspicious or unusual characters. If you are unsure, do not reply to the email. Instead, contact us immediately at financialcrime@benchmarkcapital.co.uk
Report a suspected scam
If you believe you have encountered a scam involving Benchmark, one of our Appointed Representatives, or an individual claiming to represent either, please contact us immediately at: financialcrime@benchmarkcapital.co.uk
Please provide as much information as possible, including any emails, websites, telephone numbers or documents associated with the suspected fraud.
Useful fraud prevention resources
The following organisations provide useful information on fraud prevention and scam awareness:
FCA ScamSmart
FCA Warning List
Action Fraud
Take Five
CIFAS
Get Safe Online