Financial Ombudsman Service Warns of Investment and Employment Scams

UK Financial Ombudsman Service News

Published February 19th, 2026

Detected March 12th, 2026

Summary

The UK Financial Ombudsman Service has issued a warning regarding a rise in online investment and employment scams. In 2025, the service received over 31,300 fraud and scam complaints, with approximately 20,000 involving authorised payments to scammers.

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What changed

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has issued a public warning about an increase in online investment and employment scams, urging consumers to be highly vigilant. Data from 2025 reveals that the FOS received 31,300 fraud and scam-related complaints, with a significant portion (around 20,000) involving consumers who had authorised payments to fraudsters, including Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams.

This notice serves as a critical alert for consumers to exercise caution when encountering online financial opportunities that appear too good to be true. While the FOS is an independent dispute resolution service, this warning highlights a growing trend in fraudulent activity that could impact individuals seeking to improve their financial situation. Consumers are advised to stop and think before transferring money and to be aware of the risks associated with unsolicited online offers.

What to do next

Educate consumers about the risks of online investment and employment scams.
Advise consumers to exercise extreme caution with unsolicited online financial offers.
Encourage consumers to verify opportunities and stop to think before transferring money.

Source document (simplified)

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Financial Ombudsman Service warns people to be on high alert for online investment and employment scams

19 February 2026

Press release Fraud and scams

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We received 31,300 fraud and scam complaints in 2025.
Around 20,000 of those cases were from people who authorised payments to scammers.
People urged to stop and think before transferring money to opportunities that sound too good to be true.

We are urging people to remain vigilant for scams, as fraudsters increasingly target those looking to improve their financial situation through online opportunities.

We are an independent dispute resolution service for complaints between regulated financial firms and consumers. We’re free for consumers and our service is easy to use.

Our data shows that people lodged around 31,300 complaints about fraud and scams between January and December 2025.

Within this total, around 20,000 complaints came from people who had authorised a payment as part of a scam. This includes authorised push payment (APP) scams, where people transfer money directly from their bank account, as well as cases where a consumer inadvertently used their debit or credit card to pay a fraudster.

In both situations, the payment is treated as authorised by the financial provider.

An APP scam typically involved criminals manipulating victims into sending money – often under pressure or false pretences. We then consider whether a bank should have done more to protect its customer from harm and whether consumers did enough to protect themselves.

Anecdotally, over half of the 20,000 authorised payment scam complaints relate to online investment scams. These often begin with adverts on social media or search engines prompting ‘high-return’ opportunities, frequently linked to cryptocurrency. Victims may encounter fake celebrity endorsements or deal with supposed ‘account managers’ who promise fast and guaranteed profits.

Patrick Hurley, Ombudsman Director, said:

Financial concerns can make it easier for fraudsters to tempt people by promises of easy money with high-commission online jobs, or by investing in cryptocurrency. Be wary of these opportunities.

If you’re ever asked to transfer money for an investment or a job opportunity, pause and do your research first. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Our service offers fair, free and final answers to your financial complaints. So, if you’re unhappy with how your financial provider has handled your issue, you can bring a complaint to us.
These scams often start with a small investment that appears to grow quickly. Victims are then encouraged to invest larger sums, only to be told they must pay fees, taxes or charges before they can withdraw the money. In reality, the money is lost to the scammer.

Online investment scams are by far the most complained about scam type we see, followed by employment scams.

We have received thousands of complaints about job scams – where fraudsters advertise flexible, high-paying work online. Victims are typically asked to pay upfront fees – often in cryptocurrency – to unlock their wages, commission or earnings, which never materialise.

Other fraud and scam cases making up our caseload includes complaints from people disputing transactions they do not recognise, such as money withdrawn from or paid into their bank account.

We also hear from thousands of people who are unhappy that a CIFAS marker has been placed on their credit file. These markers are warning flags added when a financial business suspects fraudulent activity.

Tips to avoid being scammed

Listen to your bank: If they warn you about a scam, answer their questions accurately. Not doing so hinders their ability to protect you from financial harm. If your bank contacts you, ensure that you are speaking to them and not a scammer by calling them back, preferably on a different line, using the phone number on your card.
Verify the company: Check the FCA’s Firm Checker to confirm that a firm is authorised for the services being offered before investing or making payments.
Be cautious with social media ads: Scammers often use fake celebrity endorsements or promises of high returns to lure victims.
Check details seem genuine: If someone contacts you claiming to represent a recruitment company, contact them using details listed on the genuine company’s website. Be aware that some companies are entirely fraudulent and may have fake websites. Do your research, read online reviews and try to find genuine evidence of the company’s existence outside of their website.
Ask yourself if it is too good to be true: Be wary of anyone suggesting a reasonable salary can be earned by working for just a few hours, such as liking social media posts or promoting companies.

Notes to editors

About the data

The data in the press release refers to the calendar year 2025 (January to December).

All data in the press release has been rounded to the nearest 100.

The PSR’s rules

The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) introduced new rules in October 2024 which should speed up the time it takes to be reimbursed by payment providers. The reimbursement rules put the onus on financial providers to reimburse customers who are victims of some APP scams, unless the customer has been grossly negligent.

Useful links

Find out more about what complaints we can help with and how to bring a complaint against a financial services firm.
For more advice on protecting yourself from scams, visit Report Fraud.
For free and impartial guidance (backed by government) on money matters, visit Money Helper.