The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a warning on 25 August 2026 that choicefinanceuk.co.uk is cloning an FCA-registered firm. The regulator said the unauthorised entity has been contacting people while pretending to be an authorised firm.
This is a regulatory risk warning, not a criminal judgment. The FCA expressly said the genuine firm, Choice Finance Mortgages & Financial Solutions Limited, has no connection with the clone website.
Institutions and key facts
The FCA identified choicefinanceuk.co.uk as the clone domain. The genuine company has FCA registration number 464330, which is also displayed on its official website and provides an independent point for checking the firm’s identity.
Clone operators may copy a genuine company’s name, address, registration number or other details. The FCA advises consumers to check the Firm Checker or register and to contact a firm only through the details recorded there, rather than using a number or link supplied by an unsolicited caller, message or website.
The regulator also warned that people dealing with the clone would generally not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or protection under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Impact on traders and firms
For traders, a genuine company name or registration number is not sufficient verification. The domain, email, payment account and contact person should all match independently verified regulatory information. A request to move a conversation or payment to an unlisted channel warrants a pause and a fresh check.
For brokers and financial institutions, impersonation damages trust and can create a fraud entry point. Firms should monitor lookalike domains, publish their official channels clearly and give clients a verifiable process for reporting suspected clones.
TraderVote view
The issue is not an assessment of the genuine company’s service quality; it is the distinction between a registered entity and an impersonator. A licence or registration number shown on a website is only a lead for verification, not proof by itself.
Anyone who has sent identity information or funds to a suspicious party should promptly contact the relevant payment provider and report the matter through the regulator and local law-enforcement channels. No recovery outcome can be guaranteed.
Sources
UK Financial Conduct Authority, “choicefinanceuk.co.uk (Clone of FCA registered firm),” published, updated and accessed 25 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings/choicefinanceukcouk-clone-fca-registered-firm
Choice Finance Mortgages & Financial Solutions Limited, “Contact Us,” accessed 25 August 2026: https://choicefinancemortgages.com/contact-us/
Written independently by Hengyuan from public regulatory and company disclosures. This article is not investment advice.
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