UK regulators raid properties in car finance text spam sweep

British data protection authorities have executed search warrants at properties linked to five companies across England and Wales as part of a major crackdown on nuisance marketing related to car finance misselling claims. The enforcement action, carried out on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, targeted a mix of residential and business premises in Bolton, Burnley, Liverpool, London, and Swansea.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) led the operation, working alongside the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Advertising Standards Authority, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority as part of a joint regulatory taskforce. The five unnamed companies under investigation are believed to be collectively responsible for sending approximately 170 million unsolicited text messages to members of the public between September 2025 and May 2026.

The raids follow an overwhelming volume of public complaints. Since September 2025, the ICO has received more than 12 million complaints about motor finance nuisance text messages, with reports reaching up to 100,000 per day. Andy Curry, Head of Investigations at the ICO, stated that people are fed up with being bombarded by unwanted calls, texts,...