Portman Finance (London) Limited

Reference number: 710069

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On the register, but not FCA authorised

This firm is registered with the FCA for anti-money-laundering checks only, which is why it appears on the register. That is not authorisation: the FCA does not oversee how it treats customers, and FSCS protection does not apply.

What does this mean?
  • Some businesses are required by law to have an anti-money-laundering supervisor. For this kind of business that supervisor is the FCA, and the registration is the only reason the firm appears on the FCA register.
  • What the FCA checks is narrow: that the firm identifies its customers, keeps records, and reports suspicious activity. It is the anti-crime paperwork behind a bank asking you for ID.
  • It does not check anything about you as a customer. Not whether the firm treats you fairly, not whether it is financially sound, not whether what it sells is any good. The FCA describes firms registered this way as “not authorised or subject to wider FCA regulation”.
  • So if the firm fails or treats you badly, there is no FSCS compensation, and the Financial Ombudsman Service usually cannot look at a complaint about unregulated business.

Identity

Check their details

Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.

  • No website on the FCA register

  • Verified phone number

    020 8209 3822

  • Verified address

    97 High Road, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, EN10 7BN, United Kingdom

Company details

From the company's Companies House record.

Company name
PORTMAN FINANCE (LONDON) LTD
Company number
08887694
Company status
Active
Company type
Private limited company
Incorporated
12 February 2014 (12 years old)
Registered office
97 High Road, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, EN10 7BN, England
Nature of business
  • Credit granting by non-deposit taking finance houses and other specialist consumer credit grantors (SIC 64921)

Current directors and secretaries

Name Role Born Appointed
Stewart Edward Barnes Director Jun 1964 12 Feb 2014
Peter Luce Ariel Hartnell Director Mar 1953 19 Jun 2015

Check on the FCA register → Report a scam →

Activities and protection

What the record covers, and how you are protected

  • Money-laundering registration only
    This firm is registered for anti-money-laundering supervision only. It is not FCA-authorised. Money you hand over is not protected by the FSCS, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.

Track record

FCA actions and complaints

No FCA disciplinary action, and no complaints recorded with the Ombudsman.

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Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Is Portman Finance (London) Limited FCA authorised?
Portman Finance (London) Limited (FRN 710069) is registered with the FCA under the Money Laundering Regulations only. That is anti-money-laundering supervision, not FCA authorisation, and the FCA does not supervise the firm's conduct.
Is my money safe with Portman Finance (London)?
Money you hand to Portman Finance (London) is not protected by the FSCS. Money-laundering registration carries no compensation scheme, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.
Is Portman Finance (London) a scam or clone?
Portman Finance (London) is genuinely on the FCA's money-laundering register, so it is not an outright fake, but registration is not authorisation, and scammers impersonate registered firms too. Verify contact details against the register before sending money.
What is Portman Finance (London)'s Firm Reference Number (FRN)?
Portman Finance (London)'s FRN is 710069. You can verify it on the FCA register.