The Financial Conduct Authority is probing more than 150 Coronavirus-related scams, according to a Freedom of Information request.

The request found that the total number of suspected scams reported to the FCA over the last five months is 165.

The data was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Parliament Street think tank’s cyber research team.

Scammers used a wide range of techniques including email, phone calls, text messages, letters, and social media. 

In one of the scams, fraudsters pretended to be from HM Revenue and Customs and targeted company owners seeking Covid-19 relief grants to help manage their finances throughout the crisis.

Other scams included a targeted effort to steal the log-in credentials of HSBC customers with business accounts and seeking to obtain the passport details of financial services workers.

Max Worrall, general markets sales manager, Encompass Corporation, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has seen a rapid increase in the number of  financial crime scams entering circulation.

“There have been numerous reports of company owners and directors receiving highly realistic scam emails, requesting usernames, passwords and bank details from workers. 

“These risks are a reminder of the threats posed to regulated firms seeking to enforce Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures and customer verification checks. These processes often involve reviewing personally identifiable information and documentation, something criminals are always seeking to get their hands on, by any means necessary.”

The Parliament Street thinktank reviews major polices as well and producing papers on technology, fintech and economic trends.