Use the FCA warning to separate NovaTask from the genuine firm, verify every contact channel independently, and protect evidence before any payment.
The UK Financial Conduct Authority published a warning on 17 September 2026 stating that NovaTask is not authorised or registered by the FCA and has been contacting people while claiming to be authorised. The FCA identifies the genuine firm being impersonated as Nova Business Finance Ltd, firm reference number 1016336, and says that the genuine firm has no connection to the clone.
Do not treat a correct firm name or reference number as proof. A clone can copy both. Verification is complete only when the website, email, telephone number, address and payment recipient match details reached independently through the FCA Firm Checker, and the genuine firm confirms the contact using a channel obtained there.
The FCA warning lists novatask.uk and the Telegram handle @Nova_task among the clone details. Do not use those details to verify themselves. Start again from the regulator.
For a second independent pass, use the FXCN FCA regulator profile to reach the official register and complaint channel, then test the suspicious domain with the FXCN clone-domain check. FXCN tools organise evidence; the FCA record remains the authority.
| Check | Contact identified in the FCA warning | Genuine firm identified by the FCA | Safe conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading name | NovaTask | Nova Business Finance Ltd | Similar wording does not establish a relationship |
| FCA status | Not authorised or registered | FCA-registered firm | Confirm current status and permissions in Firm Checker |
| Firm reference number | A clone may quote a copied FRN | 1016336 | An FRN proves nothing unless every contact detail also matches |
| Website | novatask.uk |
Use only the website shown in the current official record | Never follow a link supplied by the person being checked |
| Messaging | Telegram @Nova_task is listed in the warning |
Use an independently obtained official channel | A messaging profile is not a regulatory identity |
| Relationship | Claims may imply authorisation or connection | FCA says the genuine firm has no connection to the clone | Stop if a contact cannot be confirmed by the genuine firm |
This table is a verification map, not a complete reproduction of either record. Contact data can change. Open the warning and Firm Checker again at the time of your decision.
A firm reference number is public. That makes it useful for locating the correct record, but easy for an impersonator to copy into a website, message, PDF or social profile.
The important question is not “does this number exist?” It is “does the person asking for money or documents control a contact channel that the regulator associates with that firm?”
Use the FRN as a bridge to the official record. Then compare the full identity:
One match cannot cancel several mismatches. A copied name and FRN combined with a different domain or Telegram-only contact is still a failed identity check.
Do not click another link, install remote-access software, send identity documents or move money while checking. A request to act before a deadline is evidence of pressure, not evidence of authorisation.
Record the exact date, time, account name, handle, domain and telephone number. If the contact changes channel midway through the conversation, record the new channel separately.
Type the FCA website address yourself or use a saved trusted bookmark. Do not open a regulator link sent in a message. Search the FCA warning list for the brand, domain, telephone number and email address.
Then open Firm Checker independently. Search for the claimed legal entity or FRN and make sure the record is current. A Companies House entry is not a substitute for FCA permission to provide a regulated financial service.
Create a separate row for each detail instead of deciding from the overall appearance.
| Field | What to capture | Pass condition | Stop condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain | Full hostname, including subdomains | Exact match to an independently verified official record | Extra word, altered spelling, unusual subdomain or different ending |
Complete address after the @ symbol |
Domain and mailbox confirmed by the genuine firm | Free mailbox, lookalike domain or unexplained forwarding address | |
| Telephone | Country code and complete number | Number reached from the official record | Caller asks you to ignore the official number or continue only in chat |
| Address | Full building, street and postcode | Consistent with the official record and genuine firm | Prestigious address appears only on the contact website |
| Messaging handle | Exact platform and handle | Genuine firm confirms that it uses the handle | Telegram, WhatsApp or social account is the only proof offered |
| Payment recipient | Account name, bank and country | Genuine firm confirms recipient and purpose independently | Personal name, unrelated company, crypto wallet or last-minute change |
End the incoming call or chat. Use a telephone number obtained from Firm Checker or another primary official source. Ask the genuine firm whether it operates the domain, messaging handle and payment instructions you received.
Do not accept a transfer from the suspicious caller to a supposed verification department. The safe callback must begin from a number you found independently.
A genuine firm may have limited permissions. Confirm that the specific product or service being offered falls within the current permissions and that the firm can serve a client in your location.
Ask which legal entity will contract with you, where client money would be held, and which complaints and compensation arrangements apply. If the answers change between the website, terms and payment instructions, stop.
Before any transfer, compare the beneficiary name and country with the verified legal entity. Ask the genuine firm to confirm the account through the independent callback channel.
Treat these as stop signals:
Bank checks and beneficiary-matching tools can reduce errors, but they do not replace identity verification.
Use a simple outcome for every field: confirmed, mismatch or unresolved. Proceeding requires all material identity and payment fields to be confirmed. A single material mismatch should stop the transaction.
| Decision | Meaning | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed | Official record and genuine firm independently confirm the channel and activity | Continue normal due diligence; authorisation does not remove investment risk |
| Unresolved | A detail cannot be confirmed | Do not pay or send documents; ask the genuine firm through the official channel |
| Mismatch | Domain, contact, permission or payment recipient differs | End contact, preserve evidence and report it |
Good evidence shows the route used, not only a screenshot of a polished page. Keep originals where possible.
| Evidence | Minimum detail to retain | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Full URL, date/time, page PDF or screenshot, downloaded terms | Records the exact domain and claims shown |
| Messages | Platform, handle, profile URL, timestamps, export or original files | Preserves the contact chain and pressure tactics |
| Calls | Number, country code, time, duration and notes | Links representations to a channel |
| Payment instructions | Beneficiary, bank, IBAN/account, wallet, reference and amount | Identifies the requested destination |
| Official checks | Warning URL, Firm Checker URL, lookup time and result | Shows what the regulator displayed when checked |
| Files | Original filename, sender, timestamp and a protected copy | PDFs and apps may contain links or metadata needed by investigators |
Do not confront the contact with every detail you have preserved. That can prompt deletion or alteration. Secure the evidence first.
Act quickly, but do not pay a third party that guarantees recovery.
Payment recovery depends on the payment method, timing, jurisdiction and evidence. No checklist can guarantee that funds will be returned.
The FCA warning is strong evidence about the identity and status described on the dated page. It does not mean that every person using a similar word is the same operation, and it does not establish facts that the notice does not state.
It also does not make the genuine firm responsible for the clone. The FCA explicitly says that Nova Business Finance Ltd has no connection to the clone described in the warning.
Regulatory registration is not a promise of profit, product suitability or zero risk. After identity is confirmed, you still need to understand the product, fees, conflicts, custody, withdrawal rules and complaint route.
The FCA warning published on 17 September 2026 states that NovaTask is not authorised or registered by the FCA. Recheck the current warning before acting because regulator pages can be updated.
No connection is established by the name. The FCA identifies Nova Business Finance Ltd as the genuine firm being impersonated and states that the genuine firm has no connection to the clone.
No. An FRN is public and can be copied. Use it to find the official record, then call the firm using a number from that record and confirm the exact domain, email, messaging handle and payment recipient.
No. A messaging profile is controlled by whoever owns that account. The FCA warning lists @Nova_task among the clone details. Confirm any claimed messaging channel through independently obtained official contact information.
Design, certificates and screenshots are not identity controls. Compare the domain and contact details with the live official record. Do not rely on a document supplied by the person being checked.
No. Warning lists are not exhaustive and new domains can appear quickly. Verify the legal entity, permissions, contact details and payment recipient even when no warning is found.
Sources last checked by the FXCN Regulatory Research Desk on 20 September 2026. This article is educational and does not provide legal, financial or recovery advice.