Empire Special Situations - Investment Collapse & How to Recover Your Funds
If you invested with Empire Special Situations and have since lost money, you are not alone. Over £20 million has reportedly been lost through the scheme, and investors are now searching for answers on how to recover their funds.
Refundee is currently speaking directly with investors affected by Empire Special Situations 1 Limited & Empire Special Situations 2 Limited as part of our ongoing investigation. If you invested via a UK bank transfer, you may have options to recover your investment.
Start Your Free Eligibility Claim Here.
What happened with Empire Special Situations?
Empire Special Situations presented asset-backed investments with attractive fixed returns to potential investors. The scheme offered two-year fixed income bonds with a guaranteed return, which led many investors to believe it was a safe, low-risk opportunity.
A significant number of investors committed large sums on the basis that the investment was asset-backed and offered a fixed income rate.
Empire Special Situations also utilised unregulated introducers to promote the investment to potential investors. Refundee has seen this pattern repeatedly in collapsed investment schemes - introducers who are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to promote financial products, yet do so regardless.
Financial Difficulties and Administration
In 2023, investors began raising concerns about the scheme and feared their funds could be at risk. By 2024, Empire Special Situations had entered administration and the High Court appointed an insolvency practitioner to manage the company's finances.
Whilst investors are hopeful the administration process will bring clarity, in our experience with similar cases the administration process rarely results in the return of funds to investors and many are left significantly out of pocket.
Importantly, Refundee's process can run alongside the administration. We have a proven track record of recovering funds through UK banking regulations even where the company involved has entered administration, meaning you do not need to wait for the insolvency process to conclude before exploring your options.
What Should You Do If You Invested with Empire Special Situations?
If you invested with Empire Special Situations, taking prompt action gives you the best chance of recovery. We recommend the following steps:
Preserve all evidence - emails, contracts, marketing material, transaction records, and any communications
Report the matter to Report Fraud
Contact Refundee to explore your recovery options
Can You Recover Money from Empire Special Situations?
Investors who transferred funds from a UK bank account may be able to pursue reimbursement through Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud.
If you have invested from a UK bank account then Refundee may be able to help, we utilise UK banking regulations such as the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM code) or the Mandatory reimbursement model to recover clients funds.
Refundee has extensive experience winning cases like this, having recovered over £130 million for clients with a large proportion from collapsed investment schemes similar to Empire Special Situations. We operate on a no win, no fee basis and each case is assessed individually.
Start your free recovery claim here
You can read our verified reviews from our clients on Trustpilot.
How would the process work?
Refundee manages the case from start to finish.
The process typically involves:
1️⃣ Investigating the circumstances of the investment
2️⃣ Preparing a complaint to the bank
3️⃣ Escalating the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service where appropriate
Recovery cases typically take 6–12 months, although timelines can vary depending on the circumstances.
More about Refundee
Here are the technical bits:
Refundee Ltd is a claims management company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activity FRN: 937096.
Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office; registration number: A8986071.
Registered office address: Refundee, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE.
Registered as a company in England & Wales; number: 12855931.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-
Empire Special Situations was an asset-backed investment scheme that offered investors two-year fixed income bonds with guaranteed returns. The scheme entered administration in 2024 following investor concerns about the safety of their funds.
-
If you transferred funds from a UK bank account, you may be eligible to pursue reimbursement through Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud rules. Refundee assesses each case individually on a no win, no fee basis - start your eligibility check here.
-
No. Refundee's recovery process works alongside the administration and does not require you to wait for the insolvency process to conclude. We have successfully recovered funds for clients in cases where the company involved was in administration.
-
Authorised Push Payment fraud is when you're tricked into transferring money to a scammer. UK banks are regulated to assess reimbursement claims in these cases.
-
Recovery cases typically take around 6–12 months, but timelines vary based on the bank and complexity of the situation.
