The Information Commissioner’s Office has raided homes and businesses linked to five companies suspected of sending nuisance texts about motor finance compensation claims. The action reflects regulators’ efforts to curb aggressive marketing around a potentially multibillion-pound mis-selling scandal, while warning consumers that they need not use paid claims firms.

Officials seized laptops, phones and documents in searches in London, Liverpool, Bolton, Burnley and Swansea. The companies are believed to have sent 170 million texts between September 2025 and May, amid more than 12 million public complaints; the FCA’s proposed £7.5 billion compensation scheme has been partly suspended pending court hearings, although it had estimated average payouts of £829.