Seven UK influencers sentenced over unauthorised financial promotions

Seven influencers have been sentenced in the UK after pleading guilty to issuing unauthorised financial promotions, following enforcement action by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Biggs Chris, Jamie Clayton, Lauren Goodger, Rebecca Gormley, Yazmin Oukhellou, Scott Timlin and Eva Zapico all pleaded guilty to the offence, linked to a foreign exchange trading scheme promoted to their combined 4.5 million Instagram followers.

The individuals received a combination of fines, discharges and costs orders.

Several previously appeared on UK reality television programmes including Love Island and The Only Way Is Essex.

Steve Smart, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: “These influencers betrayed the trust of those who followed them. We’ll continue to work with responsible influencers and go after those who put the financial wellbeing of their followers at risk.”

The convictions form part of the FCA’s wider action against unlawful online financial promotions. In June 2025, the regulator led a coordinated international week of action involving nine regulators across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and the UK targeting unlawful finfluencer activity.

The FCA has previously published final guidance on financial promotions on social media, clarifying its expectations for when firms and influencers communicate investment-related content online and outlining when unauthorised promotions may constitute a criminal offence.