UK financial firm faces trial in France over fraud scheme

Paris, Oct 22, 2025 (AFP)
A British financial services provider is to be tried in France for alleged complicity in a scam that saw individuals lose millions of dollars, a source following the case said Wednesday.
After dozens of French victims filed a legal complaint, UK company Worldpay -- as well as nine suspected scammers based in France and Israel -- are to go on trial in March next year over the theft from 2011 to 2014.
Worldpay, which says it provides services for seven out of the 10 top internet companies, has denied any wrongdoing.
The alleged swindlers stand accused of persuading victims -- contacted online or by phone -- to invest their savings in the foreign exchange market, but instead spirited their money away into a myriad of bank accounts across the world, from the Seychelles to Ukraine.
The investigation found they managed to steal at least 35 million euros ($40 million) from hundreds of individuals, including retirees and students with bank loans.
Worldpay has been accused of complicity in the scheme over failing to properly carry out regulatory compliance before providing services to one of the companies involved in the illegal scheme.
Millions of stolen euros transited through the company, which was based in the Netherlands.
The French financial authority had blacklisted both the website "www.investcapitalmarkets.com" and the company name "BForex" linked to the fraud.
Worldpay said it will defend itself at the trial.
"Worldpay believes that its inclusion in this case is unfounded," the company said in a statement to AFP.
"Worldpay is committed to ensuring it meets the highest standards of regulatory compliance in the delivery of its services," it added.
Gael Collin, a lawyer for the victims, said financial institutions needed to pay more attention.
"Swindlers have always existed and always will," he said. But "the aim is for financial institutions and banks to assume their responsibilities" in stopping them.
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Sumber : AFP