CONSUMERS HAVE BEEN warned by the Central Bank over a financial firm based in Co Louth which is offering investment advice without proper authorisation.

Learn About Shares, which has offices in Drogheda and Dublin, offers “stock market training” to customers and says it will “teach you how to make a profit from buying and selling shares”. The company’s slogan is “Don’t Gamble, Get Educated.”

However, the Central Bank said the firm was “not authorised as an investment firm or as an investment business firm in Ireland”.

Customers of unauthorised companies are not entitled to compensation under the Investor Compensation Scheme, which makes payments to clients when investment firms fail.

The Central Bank said in a statement: “It is a criminal offence for an investment firm or an investment business firm to operate in Ireland unless it has an authorisation from the Central Bank of Ireland.”

TheJournal.ie has contacted Learn About Shares for comment.

Anyone worried about whether an Irish investment firm is authorised can telephone the Central Bank on 01 224 4000.