The FCA has warned investors of clone scammers trying to impersonate savings bank Marcus by Goldman Sachs.

This clone or copycat firm is not authorised but has been contacting people pretending to be an authorised firm, the regulator said.

The scammers use details which can be seen as potentially similar to the real Marcus details in an attempt to cheat investors.

Goldman Sachs launched its new consumer bank Marcus in the UK in 2018 with a high-interest rate offering which helped it attract millions of customers.

The FCA first warned about the scammers in 2021 but updated its warning last week with the details that the scammers are using.

Fraudsters are using the following details to scam people:

Name: Marcus by Goldman Sachs (clone of FCA authorised firm)

Telephone: 02030867121, 02030867424

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.marcus-vgs.co.uk, www.marcus-uk.co.uk

The clone websites, clone telephone numbers and clone email address have no connection to the genuine authorised firm's details, published below.

Scammers may give out other false details, including email addresses, telephone numbers, postal addresses and Firm Reference Numbers, the FCA warned. They may mix these details with the genuine details of authorised firms. They may also change their contact details over time. 

Genuine FCA authorised firm details

Firm Name: Goldman Sachs International Bank

Firm Reference Number: 124659

Address: Plumtree Court
25 Shoe Lane
London, EC4A 4AU

Telephone: +442077741000

Website: https://www.goldmansachs.com/

Many Financial Planning firms and other regulated firms, including several fund managers, have been targeted for clone attacks by scammers in recent years. Scammers try to copy the website and other details of legitimate firms as part of a fraud attempt.

The FCA has was also targeted by scammers itself in March 2023, when the regulator warned that scammers had tried to clone the FCA website and were regularly using fake emails to target regulated firms. 

The FCA warns that anyone dealing with the clone firm will have no access to the Financial Ombudsman Service and will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if things go wrong.

The regulator said that consumers should only deal with financial firms authorised by the FCA. Consumers can check the FCA’s Financial Services Register to make sure a firm is authorised and has the correct permissions.