The FCA has issued a warning about a suspected scam investment bond firm claiming to offer FSCS and FCA protection.

The regulator said the firm - www.best-returns.com - is believed to be providing financial services or products in the UK without authorisation.

The website claims to offer the ‘highest yielding investment-bank-issued’ bonds in the UK with rates of up to 4.95% fixed for three years.

The company also falsely claims to work with some leading investment providers as partners including Hargreaves Lansdown, Prudential and Morgan Stanley and includes these firms’ logos on its site.

The firm claims to offer “full FSCS protection up to £85,000.”

The FCA has urged investors to avoid the company, which does not list a contact address or any regulatory details. The website was still live as of this morning.

The FCA warning suggests that firms are still active offering bond-type products to consumers despite the London Capital and Finance mini-bond debacle.

The FCA said it “strongly advised” consumers to only deal with financial firms authorised in the UK and to check the Financial Services Register to ensure they are.

If a firm does not appear on the Register but claims it does, consumers can contact the FCA Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768.

There is more advice on tackling scams here: avoid scams and unauthorised firms.

Suspected scams firms can be reported here: reporting form.