Apel Investments (CLONE) - Central Bank of Ireland Issues Warning on Unauthorised Firm

What Changed

• - The CBI has formally listed Apel Investments (trading as Apel Financial Services Distribution) as an unauthorised investment firm / investment business firm that is not permitted to provide investment services or investment business services in Ire
• The CBI confirms that Apel Investments is a clone of an authorised firm (APEL Financial Distribution Services Limited) and has been passing itself off as the legitimate firm to deceive consumers.
• The CBI explicitly states that there is no connection between the authorised firm and the unauthorised clone, clarifying that any services provided by Apel Investments are outside the regulated perimeter and not covered by investor protections.
• The warning identifies specific websites and client portals (including trading platforms such as “metatrader” and “webtrader” paths) associated with the unauthorised firm, signalling that these URLs should be treated as high‑risk and blocked or flagg
• The CBI lists multiple email addresses and phone numbers used by the unauthorised firm, effectively expanding the set of indicators firms should use in fraud‑monitoring, sanctions‑screening‑adjacent checks, and customer‑onboarding controls.
• The publication reiterates that the CBI maintains a public warning list of unauthorised firms under its section 53 powers and encourages reporting of suspected unauthorised activity via a dedicated telephone line and online reporting channel.

Suggested Considerations

• Review and update fraud‑risk, financial‑crime, and customer‑onboarding procedures to screen against the specific Apel Investments URLs, email addresses and phone numbers listed in the CBI warning.
• Update internal watchlists and case‑management systems to flag Apel Investments and associated identifiers as a known unauthorised clone entity and ensure alerts are generated where they appear in customer interactions or transaction narratives.
• Conduct a targeted review of recent and pending client complaints, queries and transaction patterns to identify any potential exposure of clients to Apel Investments or similarly named entities.
• Enhance staff training, particularly for front‑office, contact‑centre and complaints teams, to ensure they can recognise clone‑firm indicators and correctly advise customers about unauthorised firms and the CBI warning.
• For firms with similar names or branding, prepare clear customer communications and website notices that distinguish the authorised entity from any clone and direct clients to the CBI’s warning list and scam‑awareness materials.
• Integrate checks of the CBI unauthorised‑firms warning list into business‑as‑usual due‑diligence processes, including vendor onboarding, introducer / intermediary onboarding, and any assessment of new investment “partners” or platforms.

Key Dates

Who is Affected