Online security

Unfortunately scams are common and there has been an increase in fraudulent attempts since the start of the COVID-19 period. If you’ve seen or heard anything suspicious that purports to come from us or relates to us of our funds please report this to us and we will look into it for you. If an investment sounds too good to be true it probably is!

What to look out for and what you can do

Scammers will often merge legitimate company details with fake ones – please see the below list things to look out for and what you can expect from Liontrust:

• The name of the company
  Liontrust Asset Management Plc is the name of the group. Please check Investor Relations for our regulated companies.
  
  
• Being cold called / unexpected contact
  Liontrust will never contact prospective clients by phone or email. Once a consumer has made an application we may need to contact you to follow up on your application, but we will never initiate a call without an application or try to sell a product to you over the phone. There have been recent scams regarding comparison websites, Liontrust will never contact you as a result of you searching on these websites. If you get cold-called the safest thing to do is hang up.
  
  
• The FCA register
  All our regulated companies will be on the FCA register, along with a legitimate email address and phone number for the firm. Companies authorised by the FCA will have a reference number but please be aware that scammers often copy these numbers in an attempt to appear legitimate.
  
  
• The website
  Our website will always be www.liontrust.co.uk or www.liontrust.eu. Always type the address in yourself rather than clicking on a link sent via email or text.
  
  Red flags for fake websites:
  1) The website may be poorly written and include spelling errors
  2) The images and logos may appear blurring or of low quality
  3) Links on the website may not work
  4) Offers advertised on the website may look too good to be true
  5) Contact details may be missing or may differ from those on the FCA register
  
  
• The email address domain
  Our domain will always be @liontrust.co.uk. You can check the FCA register links above for legitimate email addresses.
  
  
• Check the FCA warning list
  The names of cloned companies are often very similar or the same as a legitimate business. As soon as we become aware of Liontrust being cloned we inform the FCA and they will add a warning to the following list: About the FCA Warning List | FCA
  
  Please remember that even if a company is not on the FCA’s warning list it could still be a fraudulent company. Please contact reportingscams@liontrust.co.uk if you are unsure of an investment.
  
  
• Location of bank account
  Legitimate investment managers will not provide you with bank account details or request the transfer of funds to offshore jurisdictions.
  
  
• Someone requesting personal details or financial information
  Never give your personal details such as a bank PIN or password over the phone.

Reporting scams or suspicions

Contacting Liontrust
Please contact reportingscams@liontrust.co.uk if you are concerned that an investment is a scam. 

Contacting your Bank
If you have sent funds to fund an investment scam speak to your bank immediately and inform the bank that money has been paid to a fraudulent bank account

Personal computer security tips

• Ensure your computer is installed with anti-malware software and is up-to-date.
• Ensure your email services have anti-phishing & anti-spam protection. Services such as Outlook.com (Hotmail), Gmail and iCloud already have this built-in.
• Ensure your computer and other devices have automatic updates turned on to receive the latest security updates.
• Always verify the link in emails before clicking. Hover your mouse over the link to reveal the true URL address behind it. To be sure, check with official correspondence and type the URL in yourself. Remember, if in doubt throw it out.
• Government departments and many other agencies and public bodies such as HMRC use the top-level domain gov.uk. If you are searching for government services, then ensure they are genuine by checking if the web address begin with https://www.gov.uk...
• If you are entering personal or financial information, then ensure the site is secure by checking if the address begin with https://... and has the padlock symbol.
• Be warned, checking for https or the padlock symbol may no longer be enough. Cyber criminals have been obtaining standard SSL certificates and posing as a secure site tricking unsuspecting victims into divulging financial and personal information. Ensure that the site operators’ identity is verified by checking the site certificate. Major retailers and financial institutions have EV (Extended Validation) or OV (Organisation Validation) certificates to prove their identity.
• If you have received comms or been offered financial services, always check that the firm is authorised by the FCA by navigating to the official FCA website at https://register.fca.org.uk. Verify the identity of the firm by asking for its FRN and contact details and always call back on the switchboard number as listed in the FCA register.
• Always access the FCA register by either entering the URL yourself or keep a bookmark in your browser to its site address at https://register.fca.org.uk. Be aware of links in emails or websites masquerading as the official FCA address with subtle changes to the URL.