A Manchester-based debt advice company has been fined £300,000 after UK regulators found it sent millions of unlawful marketing messages to people experiencing financial difficulties and used misleading tactics that included false threats of bailiff action.
The penalty was imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) following an investigation into the activities of KRA Consultancy Ltd. Regulators concluded that the company sent more than 5.5 million unsolicited text messages between April 2022 and May 2025 to individuals who had previously been declined loans.
According to the ICO, the campaign specifically targeted financially vulnerable consumers who were more likely to seek debt assistance services. The regulator said the company failed to obtain valid consent before sending marketing messages and made little effort to verify whether recipients wished to be contacted.
The scale of the operation generated widespread complaints. More than 60,000 reports were submitted either directly to the ICO or through Mobile UK’s 7726 spam reporting service, making it one of the most complained-about nuisance marketing campaigns investigated by the watchdog in recent years.
Investigators found that some messages went beyond standard marketing and contained fabricated warnings designed to create fear among recipients. Texts sent under the sender identification “DEMAND” claimed enforcement agents would visit homes within 48 hours to seize possessions under a court order unless action was taken.
The ICO said the threats were entirely false and were intended to pressure people into engaging with the company’s debt-related services.
Evidence gathered during the investigation included internal communications involving company director Khuram Rezvan Ahmad. According to the regulator, messages recovered from company records suggested staff referred to the threatening communications as “coaching” and viewed them as a means of encouraging customer engagement.
The investigation involved search warrants executed at both company premises and Ahmad’s home. Regulators said evidence showed the business was aware of legal concerns surrounding its activities and had explored methods to make its bulk messaging operations difficult to trace.
The ICO also found that KRA continued sending unlawful marketing texts after enforcement action had begun, generating more than 160 additional complaints.
Andy Curry, Head of Investigations at the Information Commissioner’s Office, said the company had deliberately exploited individuals already facing financial hardship. He stated that vulnerable people seeking support should not be subjected to aggressive marketing tactics or misleading threats designed to create fear.
The case serves as a warning to businesses about the requirements of the UK’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, which require clear consent before direct marketing messages can be sent. Companies must also be able to demonstrate how customer data was obtained and verify that individuals have agreed to receive promotional communications.
Regulators have increased enforcement activity against nuisance marketing in recent years, with growing penalties aimed at deterring companies from using unlawful data practices. The ICO said consumers who receive suspicious marketing texts can report them free of charge by forwarding the messages to the 7726 spam reporting service, helping authorities identify and investigate future violations.
