Bogus Website – http://conisterbnk.com

This notice is issued by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority (“FSA”) in accordance with the powers conferred upon it under Section 30 of the Financial Services Act 2008.

http://conisterbnk.com

The FSA has recently become aware of the website http://conisterbnk.com falsely purporting to represent the genuine Conister Bank Limited, a company which is licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority to undertake deposit taking and investment business.   The website has subsequently gone offline.

The FSA wishes to draw attention to the following observations:

The FSA has established no association between the website conisterbnk.com and any genuine Isle of Man companies or businesses.

A search of all genuine companies incorporated in the Isle of Man can be conducted at https://services.gov.im/ded/services/companiesregistry/companysearch.iom

To offer banking services in or from the Isle of Man requires a licence issued by the FSA. A search of all entities licensed by the FSA can be found at:

https://www.iomfsa.im/register-search/

Under the circumstances, the FSA feels that any person who accessed the website conisterbnk.com prior to it being taken offline may potentially become the victim of an Advanced Fee Fraud or it may be an attempt at gaining personal data from the recipient in order to steal their identity.

General advice on how to avoid becoming a victim to identity theft and advanced fee frauds can be found on the Action Fraud website at http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ID and http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraud-az-advance-fee-fraud respectively.

Any persons who are already involved in any dealings with the potentially fraudulent website conisterbnk.com should consider notifying their local Police.

Anyone having concerns about the legitimacy of the genuine Isle of Man entity Conister Bank Limited should satisfy themselves by contacting the genuine company at their website https://conisterbank.co.im  

Anyone with general concerns concerning any individual or company holding themselves out as conducting a regulated activity in or from the Isle of Man without the requisite licence should contact the Enforcement Division at the Authority on +44 1624 689311 or by e-mail to info@iomfsa.im for advice.

FSC Reference: NR/03/2017