FCA Warns UK Consumers Against Unauthorised Firm smartea.trading

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned that smartea.trading may be providing or promoting financial services in the UK without permission. The regulator says the firm is unauthorised and may be targeting people in the country, and advises consumers to avoid dealing with it and beware of scams. The website listed in the warning is https://smartea.trading. People who deal with an unauthorised firm cannot take complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service and are not protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if the firm fails. The FCA says customers in that situation are unlikely to recover their money if the firm goes out of business. The warning also lists a Trustpilot page for smartea.trading, but a review listing does not establish that a financial firm is authorised. Consumers can check a firm’s status and permitted services using the FCA Firm Checker. The regulator advises people approached unexpectedly by a financial business to use the contact details shown there, rather than relying on details supplied by the firm; unauthorised businesses may use contact information that is incorrect or belongs to someone else. Anyone who believes they have been approached by an unauthorised firm can contact the FCA on 0800 111 6768 or through its contact form. People who sent money to a fraudster on or after 7 October 2024 may be covered by protections introduced by the Payment Systems Regulator and can check the guidance on payments to scam accounts.