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If you’re watching “money” content on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or anywhere else, it’s worth remembering a simple truth: some creators are educating, and some are marketing. The tricky bit is that marketing can be dressed up to look like education. Here are three UK-relevant red flags that can help you separate genuine guidance from content that’s designed to sell you something.
Red flag 1: the luxury “flex” is doing the persuading, not the evidence. Supercars, designer gear, flashy hotels and “look at my life” montages are often there to shortcut your critical thinking: if they look rich, you assume they’re credible. But a lifestyle isn’t proof of expertise, and it’s not proof that the strategy they’re hinting at is safe, regulated, or even real. In the UK, the FCA repeatedly warns consumers to be cautious of hype-driven investment pitches and manipulation tactics like “pump and dump” schemes, where misinformation and urgency are used to lure people in.
Red flag 2: they’re selling something, and the sales tactics feel rushed or “exclusive”. Selling a course, a community, a mentorship or a “system” isn’t automatically bad. The issue is how it’s sold. If you’re seeing “limited time only”, “doors closing tonight”, “only 10 spaces left”, or a heavy push to buy before you’ve had time to think, that urgency is a classic pressure tactic. The FCA explicitly sets expectations that financial promotions (including on social media) must be clear, fair and not misleading, which applies across channels and formats, including influencer-style content. Also treat testimonials with care: marketing will naturally highlight success stories, not the silent majority who didn’t benefit. If the creator can’t explain risks, costs, and who the product isn’t for, that’s a warning sign.
A useful extra check here is ad transparency. UK rules and guidance expect ads to be clearly recognisable as ads, including in influencer marketing. If someone is being paid, gifted, or has a commercial relationship, that should be made obvious to viewers.
Red flag 3: they try to move you “off platform” (Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp). Off-platform spaces can be used to intensify persuasion with more direct messaging, less visibility, fewer people challenging claims, and fewer guardrails than on the main social platforms. Regulators have repeatedly flagged concerns about harmful financial promotions and scams circulating online, and the FCA has taken action to disrupt unauthorised activity, including having large numbers of websites suspended or removed.
If you want a constructive next step rather than just “be careful,” build your confidence with plain-English resources designed for UK audiences. The National Literacy Trust’s Words that Count programme (with Experian) is specifically aimed at helping people understand financial language and make better decisions—exactly the skill you need to spot dodgy claims in the wild.
Bottom line: whenever a video relies on status, urgency, or secrecy to convince you, pause. The safest financial decision you can make in that moment is to slow down and verify.
Suggested reading
Financial Conduct Authority – How to spot an investment scam
Practical guidance on common scam tactics, including social-media hype, pressure selling, and misleading claims.
https://www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart
Financial Conduct Authority – Social media and financial promotions (FG24/1)
Official FCA guidance explaining how financial promotions must be clear, fair, and not misleading including influencer and online content.
https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/finalised-guidance/fg24-1.pdf
Financial Conduct Authority – Pump and dump investment schemes
Explains how online hype and false credibility are used to manipulate audiences into bad financial decisions.
https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart/pump-and-dump-schemes
Advertising Standards Authority – Recognising ads on social media
Clear guidance on how ads, affiliate links, and paid promotions should be disclosed, and how to spot when they aren’t.
https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/recognising-ads-social-media.html
Advertising Standards Authority – Influencers and advertising rules
Explains creators’ legal responsibilities and what audiences should expect in terms of transparency.
https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/influencers.html
UK Government – Online scams and fraud advice
Consumer-focused guidance on avoiding fraud, including scams originating on social media and messaging apps.
Which? – How to spot fake investment gurus online
Independent consumer journalism examining influencer-led financial misinformation and scam patterns.
