Protect yourself from Fraud

Fraudsters will often attempt to obtain personal information and money from customers of financial companies.   Financial crime methods used are constantly evolving, so it’s important that you remain aware of the types of fraud people are becoming victim to so that you are better able to protect yourself.  

How to stay safe    

Fraudsters often impersonate employees of legitimate companies, using copied branding, logos, and content from official websites to make their scams look convincing.

Stay alert and protect yourself by watching out for the following red flags:

• Unsolicited contact: You receive a call, text, or email offering an ‘unbelievable’ deal or opportunity.

• Requests for personal information: You’re asked to share sensitive details, or click on a link via email or message.

• Poorly written communication: Messages that contain grammar errors, misspellings, or awkward phrasing.

• Suspicious sender details: The email address doesn’t match the company’s domain or contains subtle misspellings.

IMPORTANT: We never ‘cold call’.

A genuine investment company won’t contact you out of the blue to sell products or services, including investments, bonds, or cryptoassets. If someone does this DO NOT:

• Engage - end the conversation or interaction immediately.

• Share any personal or financial details.

• Send money to anyone you don’t know or trust.

• Click on links or open attachments from unfamiliar or suspicious sources.

Scammers often create a false sense of urgency to pressure you into acting quickly. Stay calm and take your time - if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

We do not provide investment advice. Before making any investment decisions, you should seek independent financial and/or legal advice.

How to verify you are viewing our official company website

If you receive a link claiming to direct you to our website - especially from an unknown source - do not click it.

Instead, refer to any previous official communication received from us for the correct web address, and type the website URL directly into your browser.

There are additional steps you can take to ensure our website is secure and trustworthy:

• Check for https: A valid and secure website should start with https:// and not just http://. The "S" stands for "secure" and indicates that data is encrypted during transmission.

• Look for the Padlock Icon: A padlock symbol in your internet browser’s address bar  signifies that the website uses a valid SSL/TLS certificate and clicking this gives more information about the certificate.

Steps to Check our Website’s Security Certificate

• Go to our website by typing the address directly into your browser (e.g., Microsoft Edge).

• Click the padlock icon next to the URL in the address bar.

• Select "Connection is secure".

• Click on the Certificate Icon for more details.

This will show:

• The name of the certificate issuer (security provider).

• The validity dates of the certificate.

• The domain the certificate is issued to.

Ensure the certificate: Matches our websites https://www.ifslfunds.com, is issued by a trusted certificate authority , and has not expired.

Report it

If you’re concerned about a potential scam or believe you’ve been contacted by a fraudster, report it as soon as possible. Acting quickly can help protect others from falling victim to the same crime.

If a scam claims to involve or represent IFS, please contact us immediately:

Contact Investment Fund Services Limited:

UK: 0808 178 9321

Overseas: +44 1204 803 932

Email: ifslclientsupport@ifslfunds.com

You can also contact the following UK authorities, who can also help and investigate your concerns:

Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. If you’ve been scammed, defrauded, or experienced cyber-crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland contact:

• Website: www.actionfraud.police.uk

• Phone: 0300 123 2040 (Mon – Fri, 8am – 8pm)

• After reporting, you will receive a crime reference number and your case may be passed to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB).

In Scotland, this service is provided by Police Scotland.  

• Website: www.scotland.police.uk/

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the regulator for UK financial firms and maintain warning lists about unauthorised and cloned forms.

• Website: www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart

• Phone: 0800 111 6768

If you dealt with a firm not authorised by the FCA, you likely won’t be protected by the Financial Ombudsman or Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Seek further help and advice

If you believe you’ve been the victim of a scam - or that someone is attempting to defraud you - it’s important to act quickly and speak up. Don’t feel embarrassed. Scammers can be highly sophisticated, and even the most cautious people can be caught out.

Talk to someone you trust, such as a friend or family member, and seek help from reputable organisations.

In the UK, you can get advice and support from:

Citizens Advice

Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Which? Scam Alert Service

Website: www.which.co.uk/scam-alert

Victim Support (for emotional and practical assistance)

Website: www.victimsupport.org.uk

Samaritans (mental health charity)

Website: www.samaritans.org

Remember, reporting a scam can help protect others too. You’re not alone - support is available.

Take Five to Stop Fraud

Take Five to Stop Fraud is a national campaign led by UK Finance, aimed at helping individuals and businesses protect themselves against fraud, particularly financial scams. It provides simple, practical advice to help people stay alert to fraudulent attempts, especially those involving phone calls, emails, text messages, and social media.

At the heart of the campaign are three key actions:

STOP – Take a moment to think. Fraudsters often pressure you to act quickly or urgently. Before you respond to any unexpected request for personal or financial information, pause and think. Don't be rushed into a decision, even if the message seems to come from your bank, the police, HM Revenues and Customs, or a trusted organisation.

CHALLENGE – Ask yourself: Could this be a scam? It’s okay to refuse, ignore, or hang up. Genuine organisations won’t mind. Be especially cautious if you're asked to transfer money or provide your PIN or password, or you’re asked to move money to a “safe account.” The caller or sender becomes pushy or aggressive.

PROTECT – If you’ve shared any personal or financial information and think it might be a scam contact your bank immediately using a trusted number (like one on the back of your bank card). Report the scam to your bank and Action Fraud (the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud). Keep your devices and accounts secure by using strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication. Keep software and antivirus tools up to date.

Further details can be found by going to https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/

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