Data hub · Fraud · Investment fraudChecked 3 Jun 2026
UK Investment Fraud Statistics 2026
Investment scams are the single biggest type of authorised push payment fraud in the UK. They cost victims £144.4 million in 2024 (UK Finance), almost a third of all APP scam losses. The real story is who is exposed and how: fake platforms and AI-generated celebrity endorsements target people moving large sums, and many of these scams fall outside the new reimbursement rules.
How to read this page
An investment scam is a type of APP fraud (authorised push payment): the victim is persuaded to transfer money themselves, believing it is a genuine investment.
Because the victim authorises the payment, these scams are counted separately from card fraud, where a criminal uses your card without permission.
A deepfake is AI-generated fake video or audio of a real person. Scammers increasingly use fake celebrity or expert endorsements to make a fraudulent investment look credible.
Data period: 2024 – 2025-12·Last reviewed: 3 Jun 2026·Quarterly updates·Sources: Action Fraud / NFIB · UK Finance
1.
UK investment fraud at a glance
The 2024 loss figure, its place among APP scam categories, and the AI trend reshaping how these scams are run.
Investment scam losses (2024)
£144.4m
largest APP category2024
Investment scams cost UK victims £144.4 million in 2024, the single largest category of authorised push payment fraud.
UK Finance, Annual Fraud Report2024
Share of all APP scam losses
32%
of £450.7m total2024 (derived)
Investment fraud was about 32% of the UK's £450.7 million APP scam losses in 2024, more than impersonation or purchase scams.
Derived from UK Finance totals2024
Typical loss per case
High value
fewer cases, larger sumspattern
Investment scams produce some of the largest individual losses in fraud, often life-changing sums, because victims move savings or pensions in good faith.
UK Finance, Annual Fraud Report2024
Deepfakes in biometric fraud
~40%
estimaterecent
One industry estimate puts deepfakes at around 40% of biometric fraud. AI-generated endorsements are increasingly used to make fake investments look real. Treat as an estimate, not a measured loss figure.
Industry fraud and cyber-crime reportingestimate
2.
Investment scams lead UK APP fraud losses
Across the APP scam categories tracked by UK Finance, investment fraud takes the most money, ahead of impersonation, purchase and other scam types.
UK APP scam losses by category, 2024
Scam category
Loss (2024)
Share of APP losses
Investment
£144.4m
32%
Impersonation
£101.7m
23%
Purchase
£87.1m
19%
Invoice and mandate
£42.7m
9%
Romance
£30.5m
7%
Other
~£44.3m
10%
All APP scams
£450.7m
100%
Source: UK Finance, Annual Fraud Report (2024 data). Shares and the "other" row are derived from the published category losses.Checked 3 Jun 2026
What this means
Investment fraud does the most damage not because it is the most common scam, but because the sums per victim are so large. The full APP picture, including the reimbursement regime, is on UK APP fraud statistics.
3.
How investment scams work, and how AI is changing them
The mechanics are consistent: build credibility, show fake returns, then pressure the victim to send more. AI is making the credibility stage far cheaper and more convincing.
The familiar pattern, supercharged
A typical investment scam starts with a plausible opportunity: a slick trading platform, a cryptocurrency tip, a "guaranteed" return. The victim sees fabricated gains on a dashboard, is encouraged to invest more, and is blocked or pressured for fees when they try to withdraw. Because the victim makes the transfers themselves, it is authorised push payment fraud, not card fraud.
What has changed is the credibility layer. AI-generated video and audio of well-known figures, so-called deepfakes, are increasingly used to fake celebrity or expert endorsements. One industry estimate attributes around 40% of biometric fraud to deepfakes. That figure is an estimate from cyber-crime reporting rather than a measured loss total, so we present it as a direction of travel, not a hard number.
Why it targets businesses too
It is not only individuals who are exposed.
Company directors and finance staff are targeted with fake corporate investment and treasury opportunities. The same pressure tactics work, and the sums moved from a business account can be even larger.
4.
The reimbursement gap on investment fraud
The mandatory reimbursement regime helps many APP victims, but several features of investment scams can put them outside its protection.
Where the rules may not reach
Cryptocurrency steps. Many investment scams route money through crypto. Payments to a victim's own crypto wallet, then on to the fraudster, can fall outside the reimbursement rules.
International transfers. The mandatory regime covers UK Faster Payments and CHAPS. Money sent abroad is generally not covered.
The £85,000 cap. Reimbursement is capped per claim, and investment losses often exceed it, leaving a shortfall even when a claim is covered.
Check before you invest. Use the FCA register and Warning List to verify a firm before sending money. The reimbursement detail is on UK fraud reimbursement statistics.
2024 losses
£144.4m
Largest APP category
Reimbursement cap
£85,000
Per claim, covered scams
5.
Which "investment fraud" number are you reading?
Investment fraud is measured in more than one way, and the figures are not interchangeable. The clean, like-for-like number on this page is the UK Finance APP loss.
APP losses versus broader reported fraud
The £144.4 million here is UK Finance's measure of investment scam losses through authorised push payments. Broader measures, such as investment fraud reported to Action Fraud, use different definitions and reporting routes and run higher, because they capture cases beyond bank-transfer APP scams. They are not directly comparable, so we keep to the UK Finance APP figure and label it clearly rather than blending sources.
The deepfake share is an estimate, not a loss figure. The roughly 40% deepfake-of-biometric-fraud figure comes from industry cyber-crime reporting and describes a fraud technique, not a pound loss. It should not be added to, or confused with, the UK Finance investment-scam total.
6.
Sources and methodology
Investment scam losses come from UK Finance's Annual Fraud Report; the deepfake estimate from industry fraud-and-cyber-crime reporting and is labelled as an estimate.
2 sources Source register▾
Source
Publisher
Period covered
Type
Last checked
Annual Fraud Report
UK Finance
2024 (calendar year)
Industry body
3 Jun 2026
Fraud and cyber-crime reporting (deepfake estimate)
Industry
Recent (estimate)
Industry estimate
3 Jun 2026
How we check the data▾
Loss figures from UK Finance
The £144.4 million investment-scam loss and the full APP category breakdown come from UK Finance's Annual Fraud Report, the standard industry source.
Estimates kept separate
The deepfake share is an industry estimate of a fraud technique. We label it as an estimate and keep it apart from the measured loss figures.
Derived figures are flagged
The 32% share and the "other" category are derived from the published APP losses and marked as derived.
Data integrity
Loss figures map to the UK Finance Annual Fraud Report. The deepfake share is labelled as an estimate, broader Action Fraud measures are noted as not comparable, and derived shares are flagged. Last full review: 3 Jun 2026.
Investment fraud FAQ
Common questions about UK investment scams
How much is lost to investment fraud in the UK?
Investment scams cost UK victims £144.4 million in 2024 through authorised push payments (UK Finance), the single largest APP scam category, about 32% of the £450.7 million APP total.
Why are investment scams the biggest type of APP fraud?
Not because they are the most common, but because the sums per victim are so large. Victims often move savings, pensions or business funds believing they are making a genuine investment, so individual losses can be life-changing.
How do AI and deepfakes feature in investment scams?
Scammers increasingly use AI-generated fake video or audio of celebrities and experts to make a fraudulent investment look credible. One industry estimate attributes around 40% of biometric fraud to deepfakes; that is an estimate of a technique, not a measured loss figure.
Are investment scam victims reimbursed?
Sometimes, but several features of investment fraud can fall outside the mandatory reimbursement rules: payments routed through cryptocurrency, money sent abroad, and losses above the £85,000 per-claim cap. Always check a firm on the FCA register and Warning List before investing.
How can I check if an investment is genuine?
Verify the firm on the FCA register, check the FCA Warning List for known scams, and be sceptical of guaranteed returns, time pressure and celebrity endorsements. If you have to act fast or pay fees to withdraw, treat it as a red flag.