Corporate Avenue clone of an FCA authorised firm with similar name

What Is This Scam?

This scam involves fraudsters operating a fake website designed to impersonate an established financial services firm. The criminals have created a near-identical clone of a legitimate, FCA-regulated company by registering a deceptively similar domain name and email address. The scam targets consumers and businesses seeking legitimate financial services, exploiting the trust associated with the authentic firm's reputation and regulatory status.

Victims who interact with the fraudulent operation may be deceived into providing personal information, financial details, or transferring funds to accounts controlled by the scammers. The use of a cloned website and professional-appearing communications makes this scam particularly effective at deceiving unsuspecting targets.

Who Are They Impersonating?

The legitimate company being impersonated is CORPORATE AVENUE SERVICES LIMITED, a properly authorized and regulated financial services firm. This company is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and holds a valid Firm Reference Number.

• Firm Name: CORPORATE AVENUE SERVICES LIMITED
• FCA Firm Reference Number: 943165
• Official Address: Third floor, 19 Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JG, England
• Official Telephone: +442038685825
• Official Email: [email protected]
• Official Website: https://corporateavenue.co.uk/
• Regulatory Authority: Financial Conduct Authority (www.fca.org.uk)

The legitimate firm is properly regulated and consumers can verify its status directly through the FCA's official channels.

Evidence & Regulatory Action

This scam has been documented in multiple fraud alert registries. According to reports found in the Cloned Firm Registry, this represents a confirmed case of a fake website cloning an FCA-authorised firm using a deceptively similar name. The FCA itself has issued an official warning about this fraudulent operation.

The fraudulent operation can be identified by the following details:

• Fake Website: https://corp-avenue.com
• Fraudulent Email: [email protected]

The FCA has published an official alert regarding this clone. Consumers can view the regulatory warning directly at: FCA Warning: Corporate Avenue Clone

Red Flags

• Domain name is slightly altered (corp-avenue.com instead of corporateavenue.co.uk) — fraudsters rely on users not noticing small differences
• Email address uses generic "support@" rather than the official "admin@" address of the legitimate firm
• Website design may closely mimic the legitimate company's branding to appear authentic
• Communications claiming to be from this firm but coming from the fraudulent email address
• Requests for personal information, identification documents, or upfront payments via the fake site
• Inability to verify the firm's FCA authorization using the provided contact details

What To Do If You Have Been Contacted

• Do not provide any personal information, financial details, or identification documents to the fraudulent email or website
• Do not send money to any account associated with the scam operation
• Stop all communication with the fraudsters immediately
• Verify the legitimate company's details independently using the official FCA database and the contact information listed above
• Report the scam to the FCA and Action Fraud with details of the fraudulent domain and email address
• If you have already provided information or money, contact your bank or financial institution immediately and report the matter to law enforcement