LARL F.S. / LARL Financial Services (CLONE) - Central Bank of Ireland Issues Warning on Unauthorised Firm

What Changed

• - The CBI has formally designated “LARL F.S / LARL Financial Services (CLONE)” as an unauthorised investment firm / unauthorised investment business firm and has added it to its public list of unauthorised firms under Section 53 of the Central Bank (
• The CBI has confirmed that LARL F.S / LARL Financial Services (CLONE) is not authorised to provide investment services in Ireland and is falsely claiming to be regulated by the CBI under reference number C176004.
• The CBI has identified specific scam touchpoints used by the clone, including the website larlfs.com and email domains larlfs-eu.com and larlfs.com, enabling firms to update internal watchlists and screening tools.
• The CBI has explicitly clarified that there is no connection whatsoever between the clone entity and the legitimate authorised firm LARL Financial Services Limited (C176004), thereby protecting the authorised firm’s regulatory status and reputation.
• The warning reiterates the CBI’s use of its Section 53 powers to publish the name of firms that either provide financial services without appropriate authorisation or hold themselves out as regulated when they are not.
• The publication reinforces existing expectations that firms and consumers must verify authorisation status via the CBI registers, monitor the CBI unauthorised firms list, and report suspected unauthorised activity directly to the CBI.

Suggested Considerations

• Update internal sanctions, fraud, and high‑risk entity lists to include “LARL F.S / LARL Financial Services (CLONE)” and the domains larlfs.com and larlfs-eu.com, and block these from use in onboarding, payments, and trading systems.
• Conduct an immediate review of current and recent client files, leads, and referrals to identify any exposure to or interaction with the clone entity, and where found, assess whether suspicious transaction reports or fraud notifications are required under local AML and financial crime rules.
• Issue client communications or website notices, especially if your firm’s name is similar to LARL Financial Services, warning clients about clone scams, clarifying official contact points, and instructing clients never to rely on unsolicited contact or unverified email domains.
• Update fraud‑awareness and conduct‑risk training materials for staff to cover CBI warnings on clone firms, the specific red flags (misuse of legitimate authorisation numbers, mismatched contact details, unverified websites), and the internal process to verify a firm’s authorisation status.
• Review existing distribution and introducer agreements to ensure there is an explicit prohibition on counterparties using the firm’s name, logo, or authorisation details in any way that could facilitate cloning or misrepresentation of regulatory status.
• Embed regular monitoring of the CBI’s unauthorised firms list into compliance horizon‑scanning procedures and ensure that newly listed clone and scam entities are promptly integrated into screening and transaction‑monitoring systems.

Key Dates

Who is Affected