The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is encouraging individuals to report illegal cartels, offering a reward of up to £250,000 for information that leads to an investigation. Cartels involve two or more rival businesses agreeing to act together instead of competing, which is against the law.
The CMA also acts as a 'prescribed body' for whistleblowing, allowing individuals to report concerns about current or former employers potentially breaking competition or consumer protection law. This includes issues related to mergers, consumer protection, competition enforcement, and digital markets.
However, the CMA cannot intervene in or advise on individual complaints. For personal cases, individuals are directed to contact relevant consumer advice organisations. The CMA also does not provide legal advice.
The authority has also issued a warning about potential scams, advising people to verify the authenticity of any communication claiming to be from the CMA. Official emails will always end with '@cma.gov.uk', and the CMA will never request bank account or payment details.