Almost all firms and individuals carrying out consumer credit activities in the UK must be authorised by us.
However, some firms act without our permission or authorisation and some knowingly run scams.
This firm is not authorised by us but has been targeting people in the UK:
A1 Loans
Telephone: 0203 813 6193, 0203 813 6194, 0330 133 0575, 0330 777 1266, 0330 808 3919, 0330 220 0157
Website: www.a1loans.co.uk
How to protect yourself
We strongly advise you to only deal with consumer credit firms that are authorised by us, and check the Financial Services Register and Consumer Credit Interim Permission register[1] to ensure they are. These registers have information on firms and individuals that are, or have been, regulated by us.
If a firm does not appear on the Register but claims it does, contact our Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768.
There are more steps you should take to protect yourself from unauthorised firms.
You should also be aware that if you give money to an unauthorised firm, you will not be covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service[2] or Financial Services Compensation Scheme[3] (FSCS) if things go wrong.
Report an unauthorised firm
If you think you have been approached by an unauthorised firm or contacted about a scam, you should contact our Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768.
You can see more ways to report an unauthorised firm and find out what to do if you have been scammed.