Jessica Hampson, CEL Solicitors’ CEO
By Legal Futures Associate CEL Solicitors
CEL Solicitors has now recovered £150 million for victims of scams as it continues to fight back against fraud.
Latest statistics from UK Finance reveal over £600 million was lost to scams in the first half of this year, showing that fraud is still one of the biggest threats to the country’s economy.
CEL Solicitors, a national firm headquartered in Liverpool, is fighting back, helping thousands of victims recover their losses.
The firm reached the landmark figure of £150 million recovered last month, just 12 months after celebrating the £100 million milestone.
Jessica Hampson, CEO of CEL Solicitors, said: “Fraud is still the most prevalent crime in the UK, people are losing thousands every few seconds. The rise in fraud shows we need stronger consumer protections.
“We try our best to raise awareness about trends we’ve seen but unfortunately, scammers keep reinventing the wheel and create new, sophisticated tricks to catch people out.
“We’re here when people have found themselves deceived by a scam. Speaking to our team is sometimes the first-time victims have shared what’s happened, with shame preventing them from confiding in those closest to them.”
The firm has helped more than 9,000 clients recover their money. A sister organisation, The Crypto Tracing Experts (CTE), has been launched to focus solely on tracking down stolen cryptocurrency funds – an area Mrs Hampson identified as critically in need of dedicated, specialist expertise.
Mrs Hampson said: “Cryptocurrency is notoriously hard to track due to its decentralised nature and how quickly assets can be moved across borders.
“Acting on our behalf, CTE leverages advanced tools – including Chainalysis Reactor software – to compile the evidence needed to collaborate with police and financial institutions.
“This is just one way we’re helping level the playing field for consumers. We invest heavily in tracking the latest fraud tactics so we can stay ahead of the curve and mitigate the risks from emerging scams.”
In a major shift to protect consumers, since October 2024, UK banks are required to automatically refund victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud.
Under the new rules, introduced by the Payment System Regulator, banks must refund fraud victims within five working days, up to a cap of £85,000.
“Despite the new rules, we’re still seeing thousands of people who have lost money to APP fraud and their bank has not refunded the money,” Mrs Hampson added.
“Some might reject the claim on a carelessness clause, others might have lost way more than the £85,000 cap.
“Whether it’s £5,000 or £250,000, the impact of losing money to fraud can be life-changing and severely damage someone’s trust in others. We’ve helped thousands of victims reclaim not just their money, but their confidence too.
“With our support, thousands of people have re-written their story and gained back what scammers have taken from them.”
