The Information Commissioner’s Office has fined Manchester-based KRA Consultancy £300,000 after the company sent 5,575,715 unlawful marketing texts between April 2022 and May 2025. Many messages targeted people already refused loans and included fake bailiff threats using the sender name “DEMAND.” The ICO received more than 60,000 complaints and issued an Enforcement Notice requiring KRA to stop sending marketing without consent within 30 days. The regulator also noted KRA was not registered with the Financial Conduct Authority and urged the public to forward spam texts to 7726.
KRA Consultancy Fined £300,000 After Sending 5,575,715 Unlawful Debt Texts, Including Fake Bailiff Threats
KRA Consultancy Ltd sent more than 5.5m nuisance texts to people who were in debt, the Information Commissioner's Office said [Getty Images]
A Manchester-based company, KRA Consultancy, has been fined £300,000 after sending 5,575,715 unlawful text messages to people in debt, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has confirmed. Many messages promoted debt services to people who had already been refused loans, and some used fabricated bailiff threats to frighten recipients into responding.
Investigation findings
The ICO found that between April 2022 and May 2025 KRA Consultancy sent millions of unsolicited direct-marketing texts. When initial messages failed to prompt engagement, the firm escalated its campaign by sending messages that appeared to come from bailiffs using the sender name “DEMAND,” warning recipients that bailiffs would visit within 48 hours to remove goods under court orders.
“This was a calculated, unlawful scheme, and it caused real fear and distress to people who were already struggling with debt,” said Andy Curry, the ICO’s head of investigations. “People in financial difficulty deserve support, not exploitation.”
The campaign generated more than 60,000 complaints to the ICO and to Mobile UK’s 7726 spam-reporting service. The regulator described KRA’s behaviour as showing “complete disregard for the law” and said the fine — one of the largest recent penalties for nuisance marketing — reflects the seriousness of the breaches.
Regulatory action and requirements
Alongside the financial penalty, the ICO issued an Enforcement Notice requiring KRA Consultancy to stop sending marketing messages without consent within 30 days. The investigation also found that KRA was not registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), despite directing recipients toward debt solutions.
Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, organisations may only send marketing texts where recipients have consented or where a genuine existing relationship exists. The ICO urged companies to follow its direct marketing guidance and to use the direct marketing advice generator to check compliance.
Advice for the public
The ICO offered practical steps to protect yourself from nuisance texts and calls:
- Do not reply to marketing texts from unfamiliar companies or click any links — replying can confirm your number is active and invite more messages.
- Forward spam texts to 7726 (a free service run with Mobile UK) to help the ICO investigate unlawful senders.
- Add your number to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to block unsolicited marketing calls; if calls continue after registering, report them to the ICO online.
The ICO said the penalty should make clear that companies cannot evade regulation and prey on vulnerable people. Members of the public with story tips can contact BBC Manchester via WhatsApp at 0808 100 2230.
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