The article examined the characters behind the scheme and how convincing Moneda Capital seemed as an investment opportunity.

There were no ‘too good to be true’ warning signs and investors were falsely told that their money was backed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

On top of this, investors sent their money via an FCA-regulated firm, Strowz Ltd, and were given an online platform through which they thought they could see where their money was invested.

One of our Moneda Capital clients agreed to tell the newspaper how she had lost £150,000 to the fake investment scheme. Dawn Grice was undergoing chemotherapy at the time she made the investment and the people at Moneda Capital were aware of this. We have so far recovered £85,000 for Dawn.

Richardson Hartley Law has recovered money for a number of Moneda Capital clients but believes there are scores more victims who are yet to make a reimbursement claim.

For many of our clients we are able to help them get a full reimbursement for their claim.

Jonathan Hartley, director at Richardson Hartley Law, said: “The people at Moneda Capital used every trick in the book to sign up clients and get them to part with their money.

“We believe that tens of millions of pounds were taken in this way.

“Moneda Capital was not an investment opportunity that ‘looked too good to be true’. The interest rates being offered were realistic and it appeared to be backed by the FSCS. Victims were told that their money was protected because it was being sent via an FCA-regulated company.

“We are keen to help more Moneda Capital investors recover their money.”

Find out more about Help For Moneda Capital Victims.

Read the Sunday Times investigation: The glamorous influencer, the car crash victim and a missing £150,000

If you have lost money via Moneda Capital contact us today.

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The newspaper reported that social media platforms made £430 million last year from adverts taken out by scammers targeting users in the UK.

Research by the bank Revolut said that across Europe an estimated 10 per cent of social media advertising revenue came from fraudulent ads in 2025.

This follows on from a Reuters report claiming that Meta knowingly took billions of pounds from Facebook and Instagram scam adverts.

We were able to put The Times in contact with a Facebook scam advert victim who had lost £254,000 to a social media post that featured a deepfake AI of money guru Martin Lewis recommending an investment opportunity.

Our client spoke anonymously to the newspaper about the devastating affect the scam had had on his life.

Martin Richardson, senior partner at Richardson Hartley Law, told The Times: “I can’t imagine any other outlet in the UK being allowed to present so many fraudulent, targeted adverts. If a newspaper or TV channel were getting a significant percentage of its income by showing fraudulent adverts there would, rightly, be calls for it to be shut down.

“We see first-hand the way these scams are ruining people’s lives, leading to family break-ups, depression, severe anxiety and financial ruin. Fraud is endemic in this country, and no one is grasping the nettle. There needs to be urgent reform to stop social media firms from inadvertently helping to facilitate scams.”

Read the The Times story in full: ‘I lost £254,000 to a Facebook scam’

If you have fallen victim to a Facebook scam advert contact us today to see how we can help.

The post Facebook Scam Adverts- The Times appeared first on Richardson Hartley Law.

Ostin Technology Group (OST) is a Chinese-based manufacturer of LED display screens, listed on the US stock exchange.

Early in 2025, individuals presenting themselves as experienced trading professionals started targeting the public and urging them to purchase OST shares, promising substantial profits.

Facebook and Instagram adverts combined with WattsApp groups started to spread the news.

The share price initially climbed, reaching approximately $9 per share by mid-June, with further encouragement to hold positions in anticipation of the price soaring to $25.

But late in June, 2025, a coordinated effort appears to have taken place, with certain parties dumping their holdings at peak inflated prices. In contrast, thousands of retail investors — many of them inexperienced and acting in good faith — suffered devastating losses as the share price collapsed almost entirely.

We assisted The Sunday Times in detailing this case as an important cautionary tale for investors everywhere. The resulting coverage included a compelling print article alongside an insightful online feature, which used clear, effective graphics to illustrate precisely how the scheme unfolded.

One of our clients bravely shared their experience during interviews for the piece.

Our senior partner, Martin Richardson, was quoted as follows:

“Martin Richardson from Richardson Hartley Law said the firm had received more than 100 inquiries from UK investors who had purchased shares in OST after engaging with what appeared to be legitimate US-based investment management firms online. He indicated that the total number of UK victims could run into the thousands.

“As soon as the share price plummeted we started to get calls and inquiries from investors who said that they had been scammed,” he said. “This has left financial devastation for thousands of UK victims.””

Read the full story: How investors watched their money grow 1,075% — then lost it all | The Times and The Sunday Times

The post Pump and Dump Scam- Sunday Times appeared first on Richardson Hartley Law.

The newspaper ran an excellent article about the Wise scam in which it outlined how it worked.

This scam tended to start on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram where fraudsters stole Wise’s logos and pretended that a new savings account was available.

Once an individual responded they would receive a call from scammers posing as Wise employees who guide them through what appears to be a legitimate onboarding process.

Victims were asked to provide identity documents and are then assisted in opening a genuine Wise account. During this process, the fraudsters frequently register two‑factor authentication to their own device, giving them covert control. After funds are transferred into the account, the criminals drain the balance.

The perpetrators are reported to speak fluent English and present themselves with a level of professionalism that makes the deception particularly hard to detect.

Martin Richardson, Senior Partner at Richardson Hartley Law told The Guardian: “This is one of the most sophisticated scams we have encountered. The criminals appear to be investing heavily in social media advertising, and we fear the number of victims may already be in the hundreds or even thousands. Social media platforms must do far more to prevent fraudulent financial adverts from reaching consumers.”

Read the full article: Fake savings ads: ‘One of the most sophisticated scams we have seen’ | Scams | The Guardian

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