harrierfinancialuk.com (Clone of FCA registered firm)

What Is This Scam?

harrierfinancialuk.com is a fraudulent website designed to impersonate a legitimate, FCA-regulated financial services firm. This type of scam, known as a "clone firm" fraud, exploits the reputation and regulatory credentials of an established company to deceive consumers into believing they are dealing with an authorised financial institution.

Scammers operating this clone website use professional-looking branding and documentation to gain the trust of potential victims. They typically target individuals seeking financial advice, investment opportunities, or banking services. By mimicking the identity of the legitimate firm, they aim to persuade people to deposit money, provide personal financial information, or enter into unauthorised financial agreements.

The fraudulent email address [email protected] is used to communicate with potential victims, further reinforcing the illusion of legitimacy.

Who Are They Impersonating?

The scammers are impersonating Harrier Financial Services Ltd, a legitimate firm that is registered and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

• Legitimate Firm Name: Harrier Financial Services Ltd
• FCA Firm Reference Number: 723909
• Official Address: 39/51 Highgate Road, London, NW5 1RT, United Kingdom
• Official Telephone: +442072670921
• Official Email: [email protected]
• Official Website: www.thelintongroup.co.uk
• Regulator: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Harrier Financial Services Ltd is a properly authorised and regulated financial services provider. Any communication claiming to come from a different website address or email domain should be treated with extreme caution.

Evidence & Regulatory Action

This scam has been officially identified and documented by multiple financial regulators. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a warning on September 6, 2024, specifically naming harrierfinancialuk.com as a clone of an FCA-registered firm.

The fraudulent operation is also registered with international regulatory networks. The alert has been documented on the Cloned Firm Registry, which tracks known impersonation scams. Additionally, the alert has been circulated through IOSCO's International Securities & Commodities Alerts Network (I-SCAN) and acknowledged by financial regulators internationally, including the Dutch financial regulator AFM.

The fraudulent website operates from an address listed as 4th Floor Rex House, 4-12 Regent Street, St James's, London, which is distinctly different from the legitimate firm's registered address.

Red Flags

• Website domain is harrierfinancialuk.com, not the official www.thelintongroup.co.uk
• Email address is [email protected] rather than the legitimate contact [email protected]
• The scammers use a different registered address (Rex House, Regent Street) than the legitimate firm (Highgate Road)
• The website has been formally flagged by the FCA as a clone operation
• Unsolicited contact offering investment or financial services opportunities
• Pressure to make quick decisions or urgent payments
• Requests for personal financial information or bank details

What To Do If You Have Been Contacted

• Do not respond to emails from [email protected] or any associated fraudulent domain
• Do not provide personal, financial, or banking information to anyone contacting you from this website or email address
• Do not click links or download attachments from suspicious communications
• Verify the legitimacy of any financial firm by checking the official FCA register at register.fca.org.uk using the firm reference number 723909
• If you have already been contacted, report the scam to the FCA using their reporting tool
• Report the fraudulent website and email address to Action Fraud
• Inform your bank if you have already shared banking information with the scammers