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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An investment scam is when fraudsters trick you into handing over money or cryptocurrency by promising fake or high-return investments. These scams often appear as genuine opportunities, involving everything from crypto trading and stocks to wine or fine art investments. Investment fraudsters 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. The UK reports an average of over 10,000 cases yearly, resulting in a loss of more than £110 million in 2022 alone – a trend that looks set to continue.
Scammers can be very convincing, but there are signs you can watch for:
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.
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 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).
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. 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.
Investment scammers use many tactics to make contact, often appearing through familiar or trustworthy channels such as social media, 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 bogus 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 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 and are very difficult to spot.
If you’ve fallen victim to an investment scam, report it to your bank and the police without delay. At CEL Solicitors, we specialise in helping people recover money lost to investment scams. If your bank won’t assist with recovering your funds, we’re here to support you.
We’ve helped thousands of clients across the UK reclaim money lost to investment fraud, and we’ll work tirelessly to support you with care, understanding, and expert guidance. Just Tell CEL.
Speak to our friendly team today. You are not alone, and you may have a case.
At CEL Solicitors, we have a dedicated team of financial recovery experts who specialise in helping clients recover money lost to scammers.
We carefully review all the financial transactions related to your case. If we find that a financial institution could have done more to protect you from fraud, we will make a formal complaint on your behalf and seek compensation.
If the scammer can be identified and has assets, we can also take legal action against them to recover your money.
While every case is different and recovery is not always guaranteed, we are relentless in supporting you to get the best possible outcome.
Yes, we can help trace and recover money lost to cryptocurrency scams.
Our experts use specialised software called Chainalysis Reactor to follow the trail of cryptocurrency transactions on the blockchain. This helps us identify where the funds have gone, often to a crypto asset exchange provider, so we can work on recovering them for you.
Yes, you can contact your bank or financial institution directly to try to recover your money. If you’re unhappy with their response, you have the right to make a formal complaint.
However, if you choose to work with us, we bring technical knowledge and legal expertise to give you the best chance of success. We’ll handle the complex steps for you and can represent you if the case needs to go to court.
You’re not alone in this — we’re here to guide and support you every step of the way.
No, we work on a no-win, no-fee basis. If we are unsuccessful in recovering your money 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:
We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Our SRA number is 633955.
CEL Solicitors is a trading name of Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited (company number: 10370954).
You’ll find us listed on the SRA’s official Solicitors Register – just click the SRA badge at the bottom of this page or visit the SRA website.
We’re also listed on the Law Society’s ‘Find a Solicitor’ tool. This is a free and trusted way to check legal professionals.
If you’re ever unsure, just tell CEL. We’ll help you verify everything for yourself.
We use a variety of approaches to help recover your money, tailored to your specific case.
First, we investigate whether the financial institution involved could have done more to detect or prevent the fraud. If so, we make a formal complaint and seek compensation from them.
If the scammer can be identified and has assets, we can take legal action to recover funds directly from them.
To support this, we work with specialist forensic accountants who trace where the money has gone. We also have a trusted network of law firms around the world to help recover funds hidden offshore or in other countries.
Our team is committed to pursuing every possible avenue to get your money back.
“No-win, no-fee” means you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
There are no upfront costs and no hidden charges. If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t owe us a penny. If we win, our fees will be taken from the compensation we recover for you — and we’ll explain all of this clearly before you sign anything.
It’s a simple promise: if you don’t win, you don’t pay.
It’s common to feel responsible if you authorised a payment that turned out to be fraudulent. You might think there’s nothing you can do, especially if your bank has refused to refund you.
But don’t lose hope. We specialise in the financial rules, regulations, codes of conduct, and legal processes that can help challenge those decisions and recover your money.
Our expertise is why our fraud recovery success rate is so high — and why many clients who initially thought they had no options have been able to get their money back.
If you’re worried about fault, just tell CEL. We’ll guide you through your options with care and honesty.
At CEL Solicitors, we help clients recover money lost to a wide range of 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:
Investment scams: Promises of high returns through trading, cryptocurrency, or other ‘opportunities’ that turn out to be fake.
Impersonation scams: Fraudsters posing as trusted organisations like banks, the police, HMRC, or utility companies to get you to send money.
Romance scams: Scammers build trust by pretending to be a romantic partner, often overseas, before asking for financial help.
Crypto scams: Fake cryptocurrency investments or exchanges designed to steal your funds.
Advanced fee fraud: Requests for upfront fees to release non-existent loans, prizes, or inheritances.
Purchase scams: Payment for goods or services that never arrive, such as vehicles or electronics.
Invoice scams: Fake or altered invoices sent to businesses or individuals to divert payments.
Job scams: Fraudulent job offers requiring you to pay fees or provide money upfront.
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.
Get in touch now to see how we can help you recover from fraud.