The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has carried out searches at residential and business premises across the UK as part of an investigation into suspected nuisance marketing linked to car finance mis-selling claims.

The ICO say that they have received more than 12 million complaints about nuisance text messages relating to car finance mis-selling claims since September 2025.

Search warrants were executed on 29 July 2026 at properties in Bolton, Burnley, Liverpool, London and Swansea linked to five companies that are under investigation. Investigations are ongoing, however the ICO believes the businesses may have been responsible for sending a combined 170 million marketing text messages between September 2025 and May 2026.

The operation formed part of a joint initiative involving the ICO, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

The ICO have said that the investigation should serve as a reminder to businesses involved in direct marketing that they must comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). These rules govern the use of electronic marketing communications, including text messages, emails and telephone calls.

Andy Curry, the ICO's Head of Investigations, said the regulator was responding to public frustration over unwanted marketing communications and warned that firms failing to comply with the law could face enforcement action.

The ICO has the power to obtain court warrants to search premises as part of investigations under PECR. Evidence can be seized during these investigations, including laptops, mobile phones and SIM farms.

See: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/07/multiple-properties-searched-across-uk-after-millions-of-car-finance-complaints/