FCA ramps up enforcement against 74 finfluencers in 2025

The Financial Conduct Authority recorded 74 enforcement actions against individuals offering financial advice on social media in 2025, according to figures released after a Freedom of Information request. The tally compares with 27 actions in 2024 and 11 across 2020–2023.

The 2025 actions included 50 public warning alerts, three criminal prosecutions and three arrests. The 2024 dataset showed nine instances of criminal action but no warning alerts or arrests recorded in the same dataset.

The FCA ran a coordinated ‘week of action’ with 16 other international regulators in 2025 that combined enforcement activity, consumer awareness work and training for social media accounts seeking to comply with rules. Steve Smart, the FCA’s joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight, warned finfluencers to promote only products they are authorised to handle and urged social media platforms to help prevent consumer harm.

The regulator has stepped up use of data analytics and technology to monitor online content. The FCA says it scans hundreds of thousands of websites daily and works with technology firms to identify and block sites and apps suspected of promoting financial services without permission. Nikhil Rathi, the FCA chief executive, said the organisation had ’embraced data and technology to crack down on harm and ensure high standards.’

Figures released alongside the enforcement statistics include a review of 100 trading videos on a social platform that found only six encouraged viewers to conduct their own research and that 80% contained misleading information. An industry analyst advised retail investors to be cautious of investment opportunities not available through well-regulated brokers.

The FCA describes its enforcement options as ranging from public warning alerts to formal legal steps when unauthorised activity appears criminal. The regulator says its objective is to prevent consumer loss by using proactive monitoring and international cooperation to remove unauthorised offerings.