If you’ve lost money to an investment scam, you’re not alone — and you may be able to get your money back with the right help.
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A look at the impact of our work, set against the growing reality of investment fraud today.
£193M+ recovered and back in the hands of those who were exploited by fraud.
11,000+ people across the UK have turned to us for support after falling for fraudulent scams.
38% of all APP scam losses in 2025 were investment scams.
An investment scam is when fraudsters trick you into handing over money or cryptocurrency by promising fake or high-return investments. These investor scams often appear as genuine opportunities, involving everything from crypto trading and stocks to wine or fine art investments.
Investment fraudsters can be clever and use persuasive tactics, fake celebrity endorsements, fake websites, and cloned platforms to make their scams look real.
Investment scams can be one of the most difficult types of APP (Authorised Push Payment) fraud to spot and avoid. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most damaging. In 2025, UK Finance recorded 14,893 investment scam cases, with £221.5 million lost, the highest ever.
Investment scammers can be very convincing, so arming yourself with the knowledge you need to avoid being tricked is essential. Some of the most common signs of an investment scam are if:
Legitimate investment companies don’t cold-call or message people out of the blue. If you’re contacted on social media or email by someone offering quick profits, be cautious, as it may be a fake investment scam.
Investment fraudsters use time limits or special bonuses to rush you into a decision. Genuine firms will give you time to research before investing.
Scammers may try to rush you to make a quick decision but gloss over important details, or keep things secret, which is a big red flag of investment fraud.
Scammers often clone real platforms or create fake websites to look trustworthy. Always double-check if a website is legitimate and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Due to the rise in modern technology, deepfakes - the art of using AI to make fake videos of celebrities - are on the rise, which scammers may use to promote their fake investments.
Promises of guaranteed high returns with no risk are classic red flags. Real investments carry risk, and no one can guarantee big profits. Investing can either be low-risk or high-reward, but rarely both at the same time.
All legitimate financial firms in the UK must be authorised by the FCA. You can check this online, meaning you can ensure that you never invest with companies that aren’t registered.
These scams target people interested in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. Fraudsters pretend to offer safe, high-return crypto investments, but often steal your money or assets through fake exchanges or wallets.
Binary options are a type of trading scam where fraudsters promise easy profits by betting on price movements. These schemes are often run by unlicensed brokers and can be very hard to recover money from.
Fraudulent forex schemes claim to offer risk-free currency trading. Scammers may pose as brokers or use fake websites, convincing victims to hand over large sums.
Tech-savvy scammers can duplicate legitimate websites to trick their victims into giving away sensitive information or making payments. In many cases, these cloned sites look identical to legitimate platforms and appear to offer the same functionality.
Criminals trick people into investing in fine wine or whiskey, which are unregulated and often fake. These scams are growing and can lead to serious financial losses.
A land or property investment scam usually involves criminals claiming to guarantee high returns on investments in real estate. The scheme may inflate property values, make fake promises of developments, or claim to offer/represent non-existent properties.
A pension scam tricks people into giving their retirement money to fraudsters. The scammer offers large profits and safety in exchange for accessing and using the pension funds. These scams exploit retirees’ desire for financial stability in their golden years.
While knowing how to stay vigilant against investment fraudsters is essential, it can be difficult to understand why investment scammers have chosen to target you. However, there are some patterns we can follow.
Investment scammers use many tactics to make contact, often appearing through familiar or trustworthy channels such as social media (which is one of the most common types of investment fraud), online adverts, emails, or even word of mouth.
Fraudsters create fake social media profiles and companies that show luxurious lifestyles, designed to entice you into fake investment schemes.
They send phishing emails, texts, or phone calls that create a false sense of urgency, pressuring you to act quickly and hand over money or personal details. Some scammers even clone legitimate investment websites, leading you to believe you’re signing into a platform you have used before. These fake sites look almost identical to the real ones, so they can be very difficult to spot.
If you’ve fallen victim to an investment scam, the first thing you should do is report it to your bank and the police without delay. That way, the fake investment scam has been officially reported, and you should receive a crime reference number, which is especially useful as evidence for your legal claim.
Next, get in touch with us. If your bank won’t refund you, our specialist fraud team may be able to help you claim your money back. In 2025 alone, we settled more than 1,100 investment scam cases. Just tell CEL.
Speak to our friendly team today. You are not alone, and you may have a case.
No, we work on a no-win, no-fee basis. If we are unsuccessful in recovering your money from your investment scam, then you won’t pay us a penny.
We also offer free initial, no-obligation advice, so you have nothing to lose by getting in touch with one of our friendly advisors today.
We can start working on your case as soon as you formally instruct us, and our paperwork has been signed. Additionally, you have a 14-day cooling-off period, after you’ve signed our initial documents if you change your mind.
When you’re dealing with a legal issue, whether it’s a scam, a housing dispute, or a case of professional negligence, it’s important to know you’re in safe hands.
We understand that many of our clients come to us after being misled, mistreated, or let down. It’s only natural to feel cautious when choosing a law firm to support you.
CEL Solicitors is a fully regulated law firm. We don’t ask for any upfront payments, and we work on a no-win, no-fee basis wherever possible, meaning you won’t pay us a penny unless your claim is successful.
You can confirm that CEL Solicitors is genuine by checking our credentials:
If you’re ever unsure, just tell CEL. We’ll help you verify everything for yourself.
Most of our claims are complaints against banks. First, our fraud team looks at every payment you made to the scam and checks whether your bank should have done more to protect you. If so, we make a formal complaint to your bank for you. If your bank says no, we can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, a free, independent service that settles complaints between customers and financial businesses. We’ll keep you updated at every step.
As well as helping clients recover losses for investment scams, at CEL Solicitors, we help clients who have experienced a wide range of other Authorised Push Payment (APP) frauds. These scams trick you into authorising payments to fraudsters, often through highly convincing stories or pressure tactics. Common types include:
If you’ve been targeted by any of these scams or similar ones, you’re not alone — and we’re here to help you take back control and recover what you’ve lost.
You don’t need a solicitor. You can complain to your bank yourself, then to the Financial Ombudsman Service, for free. Our free DIY guide shows you how. CEL Solicitors is a law firm, but your claim would be handled by our specialist fraud team, who are experts in bank complaints.
No honest firm can promise that. What we can do is look at what happened and tell you whether we think you have a claim. Our fraud team looks at every payment you made to the scam. If your bank could have done more to protect you, we’ll make a formal complaint to them for you. If they say no, we can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, a free, independent service that settles complaints between customers and financial businesses. You have nothing to lose by enquiring, because we can only take on cases we believe have a good chance of success – and we will always be honest about this.
Your claim will be handled by our specialist fraud team. They are experts in bank and Financial Ombudsman Service complaints. They are not solicitors, but they work inside CEL Solicitors, a law firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Qualified solicitors oversee the team’s work, reviewing files regularly and stepping in when a case needs closer attention, including complex crypto cases. Your day-to-day contact will always be a member of our fraud team.
Your loss is the money you paid to the scam, minus anything you got back. Any “profit” or balance shown on a scam website or app is usually not real money, so it isn’t part of your loss. Payments between your own accounts can count too, if they were part of the scam.
Yes. You can complain to your bank yourself. If you’re unhappy with their answer, you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Both are free. Our free DIY guide shows you how, step by step. If you’d rather not do it alone, our fraud team can handle it all for you, on a no-win, no-fee basis.
Many people feel this way, especially if they made the payment themselves. But scammers are skilled at lying, and being scammed doesn’t mean you were careless. Even if your bank has refused to refund you, you may still be able to get your money back. Our fraud team knows the rules banks have to follow, and we can challenge their decision for you. If you’re worried about fault, just tell CEL.
Once we have all your evidence, our Bank team makes a formal complaint to your bank. This stage usually takes 8 to 12 weeks. If your bank says no, our Ombudsman team can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This can take anywhere from a few months to around two years. Every case is different, and we’ll keep you updated.
Yes, through our Crypto Investigation Report. This is a separate service from our standard fraud and scam recovery claim. It uses specialist software to show where your crypto went, and the report can be used as evidence to support a police investigation or legal action. A Crypto Investigation Report is not the same as a crypto scam claim. If you lost crypto to a scam, you may also be able to make a claim on a no-win, no-fee basis.
Get in touch now to see how we can help you recover from fraud.