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Major warning against 'finfluencer' video on TikTok and Instagram that's a 'step-by-step guide to mortgage fraud'

ended 18. June 2025

A SOCIAL media “finfluencer” with over 460,000 followers on TikTok is sharing videos that are a “step-by-step guide to mortgage fraud”, experts have warned.

Mortgage brokers have flagged that a recently uploaded video on TikTok, now deleted, but still on Instagram could “land followers with criminal records”.

The advice, deemed a “property investment hack” by Saira Hayati, whose TikTok account is branded ‘Money Sense’, advises followers that they can buy two investment properties with just a 5% deposit — initially by deliberately misleading the lender.

Saira, who also has 132,000 followers on Instagram and 50,000 on YouTube, denied she was leading anyone to do anything illegal and “it's up to the person watching to do their own research”.

The video, also published on Instagram, advises that people can take out a residential mortgage with the intention to let it out. One broker, Sean Horton, Managing Director at Respect Mortgages, described the video as “a step-by-step guide to mortgage fraud”. 

He continued: "The advice given here could land followers with criminal records, whilst destroying their financial futures. The FCA must stop playing games and start prosecuting. The evidence is there for all to see. 

“Deliberate and without shame. This is criminal activity being broadcast as entertainment, and it needs shutting down immediately before more victims get caught up. Oh, and ban her as a mortgage broker, obviously.”

Bob Singh, Founder at Chess Mortgages, described financial advice online as “the Wild West”.

He added: "TikTok is a great platform for delivering financial education and content but it’s turning out to be the Wild West. A recent video highlights the dangers that lurk behind some creators who despite being qualified and possibly regulated in some shape or form go on to effectively promote scheme abuse and manipulation. 

"The education is aimed at breaking the rules rather than working within them. In another video, directors with poor credit are advised to not be a director and get a friend to be one whilst they retain a 100% shareholding. Lenders underwrite all significant shareholders but the content conveniently ignores this fact presumably in a bid to get enquiries in seemingly at any cost and a total disregard for professional ethics. 

“TikTok needs to start verifying these influencers sooner than later before innocent clients have their financial futures ruined by such negligent advice. As a TikTokker myself, I take great care to provide accurate content.”

Craig Fish, Director at Lodestone, said: "This kind of content isn't just outright dangerous and bad advice, it’s promoting mortgage fraud. If someone follows it, they could end up with a criminal record or even a prison sentence. It’s that serious. 

"Social media platforms must act now: if someone isn’t on the FCA Register, they should not be giving mortgage advice, full stop. And if they post misleading content like this, it should be taken down immediately and reported. 

“Regulated mortgage advisers face rigorous checks, compliance and accountability yet influencers are out here gaming the system unchecked. This isn’t just irresponsible. It’s dangerous and it needs to stop. It’s time the FCA bared its teeth and platforms took responsibility for protecting the public.”

Rohit Kohli, Director at The Mortgage Stop, said the video is a “roadmap to mortgage fraud”.

He added: "Content like this is dangerous, misleading and ultimately harmful to those who follow it. We’re seeing a worrying rise in unregulated influencers pushing schemes that might sound clever but can land people in serious legal and financial trouble. The FCA must act now. 

“Threatening regulated firms isn’t enough when the real damage is being done by those outside its reach. Social media platforms can’t keep turning a blind eye either. It’s time regulators held them accountable for hosting and amplifying this kind of content.”

Harry Goodliffe, Director at HTG Mortgages, said the FCA needs to act.

He continued: "It’s honestly outrageous that this kind of advice is allowed to circulate unchecked. Encouraging people to lie on mortgage applications isn’t just irresponsible, it’s illegal. 

"If a regulated broker gave this advice, they’d be struck off immediately, yet influencers can rack up views and followers by promoting behaviour that amounts to mortgage fraud and scheme abuse. 

"This shouldn’t just be frowned upon, it should be shut down. The FCA needs to act, because the longer this is allowed, the more damage it does to consumers and the integrity of our industry."

Gemma Harvey, Director at Box Socials & FS Digital Marketing, a company that specialises in financial services social media marketing, said: “These unqualified finfluencers are damaging to our society and open the door to vulnerable young people being scammed. Teaching people how to commit mortgage fraud online should be against the law and punishable. As someone who works exclusively with regulated financial advisers, mortgage brokers and protection specialists, I see daily how hard these professionals work to stay compliant, give appropriate advice and act in the best interests of their clients. In contrast, we’re now witnessing a wave of social media personalities, many with no qualifications or regulatory oversight giving ‘advice’ to massive audiences with zero accountability. It needs to stop now."

Responding to Newspage, Saira denied she was leading anyone to do anything illegal and “it's up to the person watching to do their own research”.

She said: "With any form of content the approach should have a hook, the first two seconds need to be such that will hold the viewer to watch the rest of the content. I am not a regulated Mortgage Advisor and there are no controls over what I say to entice clickbait. 

“The main body of the content talks about actual experiences to drive a discussion and for people to comment on their own experiences this highlights reality which is what social media is all about.”

She added: "It's up to the person watching to do their own research, and the discussions should highlight people's personal experiences as to why you should or shouldn't do what is being suggested, albeit in a different approach to the standard. 

“I do my best to keep my post informative but sometimes a change of strategy to draw attention is required however there is never any intention to lead people towards anything illegal. If you look at a lot of my other posts, you will see exactly that.”

The Financial Conduct Authority earlier this month launched a week-long enforcement campaign aimed at shutting down unlawful investment promotions by social media “finfluencers”.

Steve Smart, joint executive director of enforcement, FCA, said: “Our message to finfluencers is loud and clear. They must act responsibly and only promote financial products where they are authorised to do so – or face the consequences.

TikTok said it does not allow attempts to defraud or scam members of its community, including any content that instructs how to carry out scams. 

It added that it enforces robust rules against frauds and scams through a combination of technology and moderation teams. Users can also report content.

It added that of the videos TikTok removed for violating its fraud and scam policies in Q4 2024, 95.3% were removed proactively, meaning it identified and removed the video before it was reported.

Instagram has also been contacted for comment.

8 responses from the Newspage community

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Sean Horton
Managing Director at Respect Mortgages
This is a step-by-step guide to mortgage fraud. Apparently given by a 'qualified' mortgage broker. The advice given here could land followers with criminal records, whilst destroying their financial futures. The FCA must stop playing games and start prosecuting. The evidence is there for all to see. Deliberate and without shame. This is criminal activity being broadcast as entertainment, and it needs shutting down immediately before more victims get caught up. Oh, and ban her as a mortgage broker, obviously.
Copy

Editor
Rohit Kohli
Director at The Mortgage Stop
This isn’t just bad advice, it’s a roadmap to mortgage fraud. Content like this is dangerous, misleading and ultimately harmful to those who follow it. We’re seeing a worrying rise in unregulated influencers pushing schemes that might sound clever but can land people in serious legal and financial trouble. The FCA must act now. Threatening regulated firms isn’t enough when the real damage is being done by those outside its reach. Social media platforms can’t keep turning a blind eye either. It’s time regulators held them accountable for hosting and amplifying this kind of content.
Copy

Editor
Bob Singh
Founder at Chess Mortgages
TikTok is a great platform for delivering financial education and content but it’s turning out to be the Wild West. A recent video highlights the dangers that lurk behind some creators who despite being qualified and possibly regulated in some shape or form go on to effectively promote scheme abuse and manipulation. The education is aimed at breaking the rules rather than working within them. In another video, directors with poor credit are advised to not be a director and get a friend to be one whilst they retain a 100% shareholding. Lenders underwrite all significant shareholders but the content conveniently ignores this fact presumably in a bid to get enquiries in seemingly at any cost and a total disregard for professional ethics. TikTok needs to start verifying these influencers sooner than later before innocent clients have their financial futures ruined by such negligent advice. As a TikTokker myself, I take great care to provide accurate content.
Copy

Editor
Harry Goodliffe
Director at HTG Mortgages
It’s honestly outrageous that this kind of advice is allowed to circulate unchecked. Encouraging people to lie on mortgage applications isn’t just irresponsible, it’s illegal. If a regulated broker gave this advice, they’d be struck off immediately, yet influencers can rack up views and followers by promoting behaviour that amounts to mortgage fraud and scheme abuse. This shouldn’t just be frowned upon, it should be shut down. The FCA needs to act, because the longer this is allowed, the more damage it does to consumers and the integrity of our industry.
Copy

Editor
Craig Fish
Director at Lodestone Mortgages
This kind of content isn't just outright dangerous and bad advice, it’s promoting mortgage fraud. If someone follows it, they could end up with a criminal record or even a prison sentence. It’s that serious. Social media platforms must act now: if someone isn’t on the FCA Register, they should not be giving mortgage advice, full stop. And if they post misleading content like this, it should be taken down immediately and reported. Regulated mortgage advisers face rigorous checks, compliance and accountability yet influencers are out here gaming the system unchecked. This isn’t just irresponsible. It’s dangerous and it needs to stop. It’s time the FCA bared its teeth and platforms took responsibility for protecting the public.
Copy

Editor
Mike Staton
Director at Staton Mortgages
This industry is littered with "poor" advisers. Unfortunately, it is too easy to obtain your qualifications to become a mortgage adviser, therefore, every tinpot salesman thinks this industry is an easy meal ticket. The FCA need to crack down on this, make it harder to become an advisor and be unforgiving towards brokers who clearly have no regard for the regulation and laws of the industry. I would love to see a purge of all sub-standard advisors, although that would mean a lot unemployed people.
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Kundan Bhaduri
Entrepreneur, Investor and Landlord at The Kushman Group
I have witnessed first hand as a developer and landlord the damage that poor financial advice, and even worse, failed regulation can do. But this latest viral TikTok video takes recklessness to a new level. This Tiktok creator casually promotes tactics that amount to mortgage fraud: encouraging applicants to misrepresent income, conceal liabilities and manipulate affordability rules to secure 95% loans they may not legitimately qualify for. This is an orchestrated deception broadcast to a mass audience. In an era where the FCA has worked hard to rebuild trust in the lending ecosystem post-2008, allowing these “influencers” to peddle financial misinformation unchecked is nothing short of dangerous. It risks distorting the housing market, increasing default rates, and undermining responsible borrowers. The FCA doesn’t just need to show its teeth here, they need to bite. Swift enforcement action isn’t optional anymore, it has become essential in the TikTok age.
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Gemma Harvey
Director at Box Socials & FS Digital Marketing
These unqualified finfluencers are damaging to our society and open the door to vulnerable young people being scammed. Teaching people how to commit mortgage fraud online should be against the law and punishable. As someone who works exclusively with regulated financial advisers, mortgage brokers and protection specialists, I see daily how hard these professionals work to stay compliant, give appropriate advice and act in the best interests of their clients. In contrast, we’re now witnessing a wave of social media personalities, many with no qualifications or regulatory oversight giving ‘advice’ to massive audiences with zero accountability. It needs to stop now.