Know Before You Invest
Which Investment Sites Are Real, and Which Are Not
We check trading and investment websites so you can see exactly what the evidence shows.
Red Flags Worth Checking
- No verifiable licence number listed on the platform’s website.
- Regulator’s register shows the firm name as unregistered or cloned.
- Withdrawal requests are delayed, refused, or met with new fee demands.
- Company address returns a virtual office or no traceable physical presence.
How to Verify a Broker Licence
Start with the regulator most likely to cover the platform’s claimed country of operation. The FCA register, ASIC’s licensed providers list, CySEC’s regulated entities page, and the SEC’s EDGAR database are all publicly searchable at no cost. Enter the firm’s exact trading name and any licence number shown on its site. If the name appears under a different licence holder, or does not appear at all, that result is itself significant and worth documenting.
Two Common Fraud Patterns
Fake Brokers
A fake broker site typically presents polished charts, a professional layout, and claimed regulation by a credible authority. The licence number either belongs to a different, legitimate firm or is entirely fabricated. Searching the relevant regulator’s public register takes under two minutes and will show whether the number matches the trading name displayed on the site. Where the result is inconclusive, a clone firm warning on the regulator’s own alerts page is often the next place to check.
Bogus Exchanges
Fraudulent crypto exchange websites often mirror the appearance of established platforms, using similar domain names with small spelling variations. Check the domain registration date through a WHOIS lookup tool. A site claiming years of operation but registered only months ago is a clear inconsistency. Also look for a published proof-of-reserves audit or independent custody arrangement. Most bogus exchanges cannot produce either, and that gap in documentation is worth noting before any funds are deposited.
Legitimate vs Fraudulent Signals
| Feature | Legitimate Platform | Fraudulent Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Licence | Verified on regulator’s public register | Absent, fabricated, or cloned |
| Withdrawal Process | Documented, consistent, and completed | Delayed, refused, or fee-gated |
A platform that cannot be found on its claimed regulator’s public register is not an inconvenience to investigate later; it is a reason to stop immediately.
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Recent Warnings and Reviews
These are the trading and investment websites flagged or examined most recently by independent reviewers.