FCA fines PwC £15M for failing to alert regulator about suspected fraudulent activity at LCF

Regulatory news

2024-08-18 09:30:17

2.22W

PwC encountered significant issues throughout their 2016 audit of London Capital & Finance plc (LCF).

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) for failing to report to the regulator their belief that London Capital & Finance plc (LCF) might be involved in fraudulent activity. This is the first time the FCA has fined an audit firm.

PwC encountered significant issues throughout their 2016 audit of LCF. A senior individual at LCF acted aggressively towards auditors, and the firm provided PwC with inaccurate and misleading information.

PwC found the audit very complex, and it took considerably longer to complete than anticipated. LCF’s actions, and PwC’s own work on the audit, led PwC to suspect that LCF might be involved in fraudulent activity. PwC was duty bound to report those suspicions to the FCA as soon as possible, but they failed to do so.

PwC eventually satisfied itself that LCF’s 2016 accounts were accurate. Whether or not its suspicions remained, it still had an obligation to report its previous concerns to the FCA.

LCF went into administration in January 2019 after the FCA ordered the firm to withdraw misleading promotional material for the sale of mini-bonds. Thousands of investors were misled because they were not given the full picture about the risks of the product. The Serious Fraud Office has an open criminal investigation into the failure of LCF.

Maria Nikolova

Maria has been engaged in journalism for more than 17 years, providing Forex industry coverage for the past 10 years. Before joining FNG she was Managing Editor at FinanceFeeds. Prior to that, she worked at LeapRate. Maria has a Philosophy degree from the St. Kliment Ochridski university in Sofia. She has specialized in Cognitive Science in Vienna. Her interests include psychology, AI, and linguistics.