One Name, Several Endings
A genuine business may register more than one ending of its name, for example .co.uk and .com, and send visitors from each to one main site. Entries on the FCA Warning List often look different: several separate sites under similar names, each of which has to be checked on its own.
Among recent entries on the FCA Warning List, one firm gave five addresses across finnova-limited.com, finnova-limited.org and finnova-limited.net, and another used adm-group.ac, adm-group.co and adm-group.cc.
What a Domain Ending Can Tell You
Some endings that look generic are in fact country codes. According to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, which keeps the register of domain endings, .cc belongs to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, .ac to Ascension Island and .co to Colombia.
An ending of this kind is not, on its own, a sign of fraud. A UK investment firm whose addresses all sit under island and overseas endings has, however, made a choice worth asking about.
Find the Address the Firm Gave the FCA
The FCA Register shows the website address an authorised firm has given the FCA. Compare it letter by letter with the address you were given, because a clone often keeps the genuine name and changes only the ending.
A real company name is not proof either. The FCA states that the firm using the finnova addresses has no association with Finnova Limited, a separate company registered at Companies House, which shows how easily a genuine company's name can be borrowed.
A Recent Domain Deserves a Closer Look
A domain registered only weeks or months ago, for a firm that claims a long history, is a contradiction worth noticing. A website is quick to build and quick to replace, while a firm's entry on the FCA Register and its record at Companies House build up over years.
Before you pay, use your bank's Confirmation of Payee check to confirm that the account is held in the exact name of the firm on the Register. If an approach worries you, report it to the FCA on 0800 111 6768.
How MetaAshes Examines This
A MetaAshes assessment cross-references a firm's details against the official record in a single pass. For this question, the most relevant checks include:
- Official website on record
- Domain registration age
- Live website presence
- Email domain consistency
- Company existence and identity
- FCA Warning List screening
- Payee name verification
Frequently Asked
Is a firm with several website addresses always a scam?
No. A genuine business may register more than one ending of its name. What matters is whether the address you were given is the one the firm has given the FCA.
Where can I find a firm's genuine website address?
The FCA Register shows the website address an authorised firm has given the FCA. Compare it with the address you were given, including the ending.
Can MetaAshes check a website address?
Yes. An assessment compares the website you were given with the firm's official record and checks when the domain was registered.
This guide is provided for general information and does not constitute financial or legal advice.