FCA warns STAR TRADE FINANCE (startradefinance.net) is unauthorised and may be targeting people in the UK
On 27 October 2026 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) added STAR TRADE FINANCE to its Warning List. The FCA says the firm is not authorised by it, may be providing or promoting financial services or products wit…
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Source: fca.org.uk · published
What happened
On 27 October 2026 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) added STAR TRADE FINANCE to its Warning List. The FCA says the firm is not authorised by it, may be providing or promoting financial services or products without permission, and may be targeting people in the UK. It lists the website www.startradefinance.net, the email address admin@startradefinance.net and an address at Farnham Lane, Farnham Royal, Slough SL2 3SD. The FCA does not say what products the firm offered or how people were approached, and the listing is not a finding that any particular wrongdoing has occurred. Its warning is that people who deal with the firm may be doing so without regulatory protection.
How the scam works
Almost all firms and individuals must be authorised or registered by the FCA to carry out or promote financial services in the UK. The Warning List names firms the regulator believes are acting without that permission. The FCA's page does not say how Star Trade Finance contacts people, so this is general rather than specific. Unauthorised firms commonly reach people through cold calls, social media ads, messaging apps or search results, and tend to use professional-looking websites and an address that looks credible.
The FCA adds that some firms give incorrect contact details, including postal addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses, and may change them over time. It also says they may give details belonging to another business or individual so the information looks genuine. The FCA's guidance is to deal only with authorised firms and to check them on the FCA Firm Checker, using the contact details listed there.
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).
Source
Financial Conduct Authority, Warning List entry "STAR TRADE FINANCE" (27 October 2026).
Red flags
- The firm is not authorised or registered with the FCA and doesn't appear on the FCA Firm Checker.
- Contact details such as a postal address, email or phone number that you can't match to the FCA Register.
- An unsolicited approach about financial products or services.
- A website that gives little verifiable detail about who runs the firm.
- Pressure to send money quickly.
If you were targeted
- 1Check any firm on the FCA Firm Checker, and use only the contact details listed there.
- 2Don't deal with the firm or send it money.
- 3If you've paid, contact your bank at once and ask about recovery protections, including PSR rules for payments made on or after 7 October 2024.
- 4Report the firm to the FCA (call 0800 111 6768 or use its contact form) and consider reporting to Action Fraud.
- 5Be wary of any later offers to recover your money for a fee.