EquityPlus Scam: Crypto Fraud Misusing a UK Firm Name

EquityPlus is a scheme reported to collect crypto and forex investments by imitating the name of a long-established, legitimate mortgage finance firm in the United Kingdom. First seen under the domain equityplus.ltd, the scheme reappeared in September 2026 under the domain equityplusfx.ltd, and this new address has entered the warning list of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

🎭 Imitating the Identity of a Legitimate Firm

The real EquityPlus is a company that has provided mortgage finance services in the United Kingdom since 1982; it does not collect crypto or forex investments. Those running the scheme use the name and corporate look of this legitimate firm to build a trustworthy past for themselves. When an investor searches the name online, a genuine company with a long history appears; this strengthens the impression that the fake platform is a "well-established British firm".

The platform also claims to hold an FCA licence and a licence from CySEC, the Cypriot regulator. These licence claims are not confirmed by any register; a fake licence number, or licence details belonging to another firm, is used to get past the investor's first check. The FCA also stresses in its warning that unauthorised firms may give misleading contact details or use details belonging to other businesses as if they were their own. The method used in the EquityPlus case is exactly this: the name, history and reputation of a real company are dressed onto an investment platform that has no connection with it.

🌐 From equityplus.ltd to equityplusfx.ltd: the Domain Change

On 29 September 2026 the FCA published a "this firm is not authorised by us" warning for www.equityplusfx.ltd. According to the warning, the firm may be providing or promoting financial services without FCA permission; those who deal with such firms cannot benefit from compensation protection or the complaints mechanism in the United Kingdom. The warning does not include an address or phone details for the scheme.

The "fx" suffix on the new domain is meaningful:

For this reason, every new address that arrives under EquityPlus, EquityPlusFX or a similar name should be regarded as a continuation of the same scheme.

🚩 The Fraud Method and Its Stages

The way the scheme using the EquityPlus name works consists of consecutive stages:

The strength of the scheme comes from the investment decision being made out of trust in a person rather than after assessing a platform. For this reason the platform's licence claim is often never questioned.

💱 Why Payment Is Requested in Crypto

The scheme using the EquityPlus name asks for money in crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, not by bank transfer. This choice is part of the scheme. A bank transfer ties the other side to an account holder and allows an objection within a certain period; a crypto transfer becomes final the moment it is completed, and the receiving address is not directly matched to an identity.

The victim is often first steered to open an account on a local crypto exchange and then to send the purchased assets to a wallet said to belong to the "investment account". This two-stage flow creates the impression that the money left from an exchange account opened in the victim's own name, and prepares the ground for a defence that the transaction was made "of their own free will". Yet the sending records on the exchange account, the receiving addresses and the transaction IDs are the most important traces for tracing the money.

🗓️ Timeline

The use of two different domains about six months apart shows that the scheme is not tied to a single site and moves to new addresses as warnings grow. For this reason, the closure of a domain does not mean the activity of the scheme has ended.

🔍 Findings

• Domains: equityplus.ltd and equityplusfx.ltd
• Imitated firm: the legitimate EquityPlus, active in mortgage finance in the United Kingdom
• Official warning: FCA unauthorised firm warning (29.09.2026, equityplusfx.ltd)
• Licence claim: FCA and CySEC, not confirmed by any register
• Payment method: Bitcoin and Ethereum wallet addresses
• Contact: Only social media and private messaging; no corporate address or operator details

Crypto wallet addresses can be traced on the blockchain; however, those running the scheme move incoming assets quickly to other addresses. For this reason, the early preservation of sending records and transaction IDs is important.

⚖️ SPK Authorisation and the Legal Position

The scheme operating as EquityPlus and equityplusfx.ltd holds no permission from the Capital Markets Board in Türkiye. Providing leveraged trading services to persons resident in Türkiye is open only to intermediary institutions authorised by SPK. By its decision No. 8/297 of 24.02.2017, the Capital Markets Board stated that bringing parties together with overseas structures in leveraged trading would be treated as unauthorised activity. Acts carried out by gaining trust through a false identity and through information systems are assessed under the qualified fraud provisions of the Turkish Penal Code.

🛡️ Checks Before Investing

🔗 Other Platforms Using the Same Method

The method of copying the identity of a legitimate British firm and collecting crypto investments with a fake licence claim is not specific to one case. We have covered other platforms where the same scheme was seen:

🧭 The Legal Process for Victims

The process a victim of such schemes encounters generally consists of the following steps:

For detailed information and legal support, you can contact Savun Law & Consultancy.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions