UK regulators seize devices in raid on firms sending spam car-finance texts
The Information Commissioner’s Office carried out search warrants in five UK locations, confiscating laptops, phones and documents from companies accused of flooding motorists with spam texts about car-finance compensation claims.
In a coordinated operation, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office obtained search warrants and entered homes and businesses across London, Liverpool, Bolton, Burnley and Swansea. The targets are five companies suspected of dispatching roughly 170 million spam text messages to the public between September 2025 and May 2026, promoting claims related to a massive car-finance mis-selling scandal. Officials confiscated laptops, mobile phones and extensive documentation, including “sim farms” that store thousands of SIM cards.
Andy Curry, the ICO’s head of investigations, said the raids send a clear warning to the claims-management sector to obey the law. The action supports the Financial Conduct Authority’s effort to enforce a £7.5 billion compensation scheme, which has been partially suspended by the courts, and involves coordination with the Advertising Standards Authority and the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Why it matters
The crackdown targets firms exploiting vulnerable motorists, aiming to protect consumers from illegal spam and ensure fair handling of a multibillion-pound compensation scheme.
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