FCA Says Finfluencer and Market-Abuse Crackdowns Led Its First Strategy Year

The UK Financial Conduct Authority said its first year under a new five-year strategy included heavier action against illegal financial promotions, investment fraud and market abuse.

In a 9 July update tied to its annual report and accounts, the regulator said an international week of action on finfluencers led to 3 arrests, 6 criminal proceedings, 11 targeted warning or cease-and-desist letters, 50 warning-list alerts and 650 social-media takedown requests. The FCA said the action involved 9 international regulators.

The FCA also said it issued 2,329 warnings about unauthorised or potentially scam firms in 2025, up from 2,240 in 2024. It reported 17 criminal convictions across fraud, insider dealing, money laundering and Data Protection Act offences.

For market-abuse enforcement, the regulator said two individuals received a combined 11 years in prison for insider dealing and money laundering, while 12 individuals were fined a total of GBP1.77 million for market-abuse offences. It also said firms were fined around GBP14.4 million for transaction-reporting failures and control weaknesses.

Why it matters

For active traders, the update is a reminder that the FCA is treating social-media promotions, unauthorised firms and market-abuse conduct as linked market-integrity risks. Broker due diligence, promoted trading signals and influencer-led product claims remain areas where UK traders should expect closer scrutiny.

What to watch next

Watch whether the FCA follows the annual-report figures with fresh enforcement cases against finfluencers, further transaction-reporting penalties, or additional cross-border actions with overseas regulators.