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FCA: Christopher Woolcott sentenced over £154m fake takeover bid built on invented identities and forged documents

The UK Financial Conduct Authority said on 10 November 2026 that Christopher Woolcott, of Greenwich, London, was given a 2-year prison sentence, suspended for 2 years, at Southwark Crown Court after staging a fake £15…

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Source: fca.org.uk · published

Illustration: Investing and crypto scams

What happened

The UK Financial Conduct Authority said on 10 November 2026 that Christopher Woolcott, of Greenwich, London, was given a 2-year prison sentence, suspended for 2 years, at Southwark Crown Court after staging a fake £154m takeover bid for a London- and Toronto-listed oil and gas company in which he had built up a shareholding. He was also ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £4,627.73 in costs, with concurrent 14-month terms on three forgery counts. The FCA said he invented several identities, used ChatGPT to forge takeover documents and met the company's chief executive under a false name, and stood to gain up to about £70,000 by selling his shares. The Independent reported he first approached the company as "Simon Jones" of a private equity firm called "Griffon Partners" and produced a forged HSBC funding letter and a forged letter attributed to a fictitious solicitor at a real law firm; HSBC and the law firm were spoofed and not involved. Woolcott pleaded guilty on 10 September 2026 to fraud by false representation and three counts of making a false instrument. The FCA said the target company was not under investigation.

How the scam works

According to the FCA, Woolcott invented several identities, used ChatGPT to forge takeover documents and met the company's chief executive under a false name, standing to gain up to about £70,000 by selling his shares. The Independent reported that he first approached the company as "Simon Jones" of a private equity firm called "Griffon Partners" and produced a forged HSBC funding letter and a forged letter attributed to a fictitious solicitor at a real law firm. HSBC and the law firm were spoofed and were not involved.

The FCA said the target company was not under investigation. Woolcott pleaded guilty on 10 September 2026 to fraud by false representation and three counts of making a false instrument, and was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court. Companies should independently verify unexpected takeover approaches, funding letters and the identities of intermediaries, including when documents look professionally prepared.

Source

UK Financial Conduct Authority press release, 10 November 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/man-sentenced-over-154m-fake-takeover-bid-targeting-uk-listed-company

https://x.com/TheFCA/status/2120207002513100820

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/christopher-woolcott-fraud-ai-oil-gas-company-takeover-b3082589.html

Red flags

  • An unexpected takeover, funding or private-equity approach using identities you cannot independently verify.
  • Documents such as bank funding letters or solicitor letters that you have not confirmed with the real firm.
  • A request to deal through a newly introduced intermediary rather than known advisers.
  • Pressure to proceed quickly with a bid or share sale on the basis of impressive paperwork.

If you were targeted

  1. 1This report describes a court outcome reported by the cited official or news source.
  2. 2If you think you were affected by a similar scheme, contact your bank and, where relevant, the police or the investigating agency named in the source.
  3. 3Do not pay fees, taxes or investment sums because an unexpected message or caller told you to.
  4. 4Verify official contact using a number or website you look up yourself, not one supplied in a message.
  5. 5Keep copies of messages, payments and documents if you are making a report.
ReportFraud.ftc.gov FBI IC3 More resources

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