FCA: clone firm 'Bondsterling Savings Ltd' (bondsterling.uk) poses as an FCA-authorised savings firm
On 27 October 2026 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a clone firm warning about "Bondsterling Savings Ltd". The FCA says the firm is not authorised but has been contacting people while pretending to b…
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Source: fca.org.uk · published
What happened
On 27 October 2026 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a clone firm warning about "Bondsterling Savings Ltd". The FCA says the firm is not authorised but has been contacting people while pretending to be an authorised firm. It says fraudsters are using the email contact@bondsterling.uk and the website www.bondsterling.uk. According to the FCA, the genuine authorised firm being claimed is Bondsmith Savings Ltd, which has no connection with the clone. Bondsmith Savings Ltd is the impersonated party. It is not involved and is not accused of any wrongdoing. The FCA's listing does not describe the products offered, but the names suggest a savings or bond offer.
How the scam works
Savings and bond clones follow a recognisable pattern: a name that differs from the real firm's by a few letters, a website and email domain registered to look professional, and sometimes an FCA Firm Reference Number lifted from the real firm. The victim checks the register, sees a genuine entry for Bondsmith Savings Ltd and is reassured. The FCA does not say how Bondsterling approached people, so no specific method is claimed here.
Clone firms use real firms' names, details or Firm Reference Numbers, and may mix false details with genuine ones. The FCA warns that scammers may give out other false details, including email addresses, telephone numbers, postal addresses and Firm Reference Numbers, and may change their contact details over time.
People who deal with an unauthorised firm will not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service if they want to complain, and will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if things go wrong, so it is unlikely they would get their money back if the firm collapsed. The FCA also says people who sent money to a fraudster on or after 7 October 2024 may be covered by protections introduced by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR). The FCA publishes the genuine firm's correct details, including its website and contact numbers, on the warning page. Use those details, and nothing from the clone, to verify any approach.
Source
Financial Conduct Authority, clone firm warning "Bondsterling Savings Ltd" (27 October 2026).
Red flags
- Contact from a firm that claims to be FCA-authorised but whose details don't match the FCA Register.
- A website address or email domain different from the authorised firm's.
- A Firm Reference Number that is quoted but doesn't match the firm on the Register.
- Contact details that mix real and unfamiliar information.
- An unexpected approach, or pressure to pay or give personal details.
If you were targeted
- 1Look the firm up on the FCA Register and contact it only through the details listed there, not those you were given.
- 2Don't send money or personal details to the clone, and stop contact.
- 3If you've paid, tell your bank at once and ask about recovery protections, including PSR rules for payments made on or after 7 October 2024.
- 4Report the clone to the FCA (0800 111 6768 or its contact form) and consider Action Fraud.
- 5Tell the genuine firm about the contact so it can warn others.