Midlands Planning firm hit by clone attack
Wealth Solutions (UK) Limited (FRN:478217) has been hit by a clone attack by fraudsters.
Part of the Amber River Financial Planning group, the genuine Wealth Solutions also trades as Amber River Midlands.
Fraudsters claiming to work for Wealth Solutions are targeting UK investors, according to an alert sent by the FCA.
The scammers are using the following details to scam people:
- Telephone: +97125564227, +441293624122
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: wealthsolutions-ltd.com
The FCA warned they may also give out other false details, including email addresses, telephone numbers, postal addresses and firm reference numbers.
The regulator has confirmed that there is no connection between the scammers and the genuine Wealth Solutions.
Wealth Solutions (UK) Limited was acquired by acquisitive private-equity funded Financial Planning firm Amber River in March 2021.
Before becoming part of Amber River, Wealth Solutions was founded by managing director Simon Redhead.
Amber River was formerly known as Socium Group. The firm is headed by Mary-Anne McIntyre, the former CEO of IFA network Openwork. The firm specialises in investments, intergenerational planning, trusts and tax planning.
The Amber River Group now has eight independent financial advice business across 20 locations nationwide. It has 199 advisers looking after over 18,000 clients. Assets under influence are £6.7bn.
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 or other details of legitimate firms as part of a fraud attempt.
In December the FCA warned investors to beware of persistent scammers trying to clone the Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) website.