Unauthorised and Scam Forex Brokers for January 2023

Forex Fraud Analyst Team

Unauthorised and Scam Forex Brokers for January 2023

Experienced forex traders are only too aware that not every broker who claims to be reputable and regulated is telling the truth. In fact, there are a lot of scam brokers out there, and some of them are very good at appearing more legitimate than they actually are. Check out our scam brokers list for January 2023 to see the brokers you should be avoiding at all costs.

Unauthorised and Scam Forex Brokers for January 2023

Casperr Finance

This firm is offering financial services in the UK but is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). There are a number of red flags with this so-called company, including its contact information which seems to consist of mobile numbers and generic free email addresses.

Capital LLC

An LLC is the US equivalent of a limited company in the UK. However, this firm is targeting investors in the UK without being registered to trade in the UK. The FCA has stated that this organisation is not regulated by them, and traders should avoid them

Barron Financial Solutions Ltd (Clone of FCA Appointed Representative)

Firms like this are particularly dangerous as they effectively ‘clone’ other legitimate broker sites to convince traders to invest with them. In this case the legitimate FCA authorised broker can be found at www.barronfs.co.uk, and all email addresses should end in this domain. The cloned site is using email addresses ending in barron.cx.

TFX Pro

This firm is using the website www.tfxpro.io and lists legitimate-sounding contact details including a physical address in London. However, it is not authorised by the FCA, and investors in the UK are not protected if they invest with this firm.

FINANCE EXPERTS LTD

This is another firm targeting UK investors that may claim to be FCA regulated, but they are not, and do not hold a license to operate in the UK.

Interalia Capital (clone of FCA authorised firm)

This is another clone of a legitimate firm, but the FCA-regulated Interalia Capital has no association with the clone firm. The clone site is http://interalia-capital.co.uk/ according to the FCA.

Flexible Wealth Exchange

This firm is listing its telephone number as +12813059380 and its website as www.flexiblewealthexchange.com. The firm is not licensed or regulated by the FCA and is not authorised to operate in the UK.

AB Funding (clone of FCA authorised firm)

This is a clone site impersonating the real FCA-authorised broker. The legitimate, regulated broker is the one with the website www.london.cmbchina.com and email [email protected] The cloned site is using the domain https://www.abfunding.co.uk.

Kranken FX

This firm is based in Jakarta but is targeting UK investors in spite of having no authorisation to operate in the UK. While it does not appear to be a clone site, it may be using the name Kranken in the hope that traders will confuse it with the well-known crypto trading platform Kraken.

Tarcord Bank

This firm is offering financial services to UK investors but again, is not listed with the FCA and is not authorised to operate in the UK. The domain is www.tarcordonline.com, and the contact details are suspicious (the main phone number appears to be a mobile number).

If you are worried that you may have been taken in by a scam broker you can check the firm directly on the FCA website, where you can search for the specific name the firm is using.

How to Avoid Scam Forex Brokers

To avoid scam brokers, traders should be aware of red flags such as brokers who approach you on social media or in online forums, especially if they are pressuring you to invest, or pushing you to make quick decisions or invest more than you are comfortable with. Other things to watch out for are promises of unrealistically high or guaranteed returns. Remember that investments that sound too good to be true usually are. Traders should also be wary of incentives to invest such as bonuses or cashback offers.

Before committing to a broker, always check that they are regulated by the FCA by going direct to the FCA website and checking their list of authorised brokers. All brokers, whether firms or individuals, should be regulated and listed if they are offering financial services or offering to invest on your behalf. Do not believe individuals who try to convince you they are legitimate, but outside the scope of the FCA because they are not a registered company.

Beware of cloned websites. They can be very convincing, often looking exactly the same as the legitimate site. To check the website is not a clone make sure that all the details on the FCA site match the details on the broker site, especially the contact details. Illegitimate sites may have suspicious contact details including mobile phone numbers or generic email addresses, but this is not always the case.

You can also search online to see if customers are claiming that a broker is a scam. Those who are scammed should report the firm to the FCA, but some people instead take to online forums and social media platforms to complain about it. While a lack of complaints should not be taken as an automatic sign the broker is legitimate, a large number of complaints are a good sign the broker is probably a scam, and certainly to be avoided.

Safe Forex Brokers

Here at ForexFraud we carefully review brokers to ensure they are operating legitimately. For peace of mind, consider only using brokers from our list of safe forex brokers who are all fully regulated and licensed.

Broker Features Min Deposit EURUSD Spread  
Number One Broker BlackBull Markets LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes

– Flexible leverage up to 500:1
– Multi award-winning New Zealand broker
– Institutional-grade spreads from 0.1 pips

$200From 0.1
73 % of retail CFD accounts lose money US Clients: No Regulated : Yes

– Ultra – fast execution from 0.1s
– Low spreads from 0.0 pups
– All trading strategies allowed
– No restrictions on profitability
– Top trading conditions

$100from 0.0 pips
Sign Up 73 % of retail ...
AvaTrade LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes

40% New Member Bonus
– MIFID, ASIC, FSA & FSCA regulated
– Free Online Trading Coach

 

$100Fixed
Sign Up Europe* CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Plus500 Logo79 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. US Clients: No Regulated : Yes

– FCA, ASIC, CySEC Regulated.
– Multi Asset Trading Platform.
– No Time Frame For Demo Accounts.
– the provider offers CFD trading only

100GBP/AUD/EUR/USDvariable
Sign Up 79 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Moneta Markets LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes $50from 0
vantageYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • ASIC Regulated
  • Well Established
  • No Fees
  • 24 hour support
$200From 0.1 pips
LegacyFX LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • CySEC regulated.
  • Good for beginners with excellent trading academy.
  • Beginner Friendly
$500From 0.6 pips
Between 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • FCA, CySEC, DFSA, BaFIN, SCB, CMA & ASIC Authorized and Regulated
  • 24 Hour Support
  • Negative Balance Protection
$200NDD 0.09 / Standard 0.69
Sign Up Between 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs
Your capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • Crypto deposits possible
  • Bonus offers
  • Leverage up to 1:500
  • MT4 and Allpips platforms
$25From 0.4 pips
Forex Broker eToro Logo67% of CFD traders lose US Clients: Yes (eToro USA) Regulated : Yes
  • Social Trading Platform
  • FCA & CySEC Regulated
  • Minimum Deposit $200
  • Demo Account
  • Copy Trading
  • 2000+ Instruments
$200from 1
Sign Up 67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Skilling forex broker logoYour capital is at risk US Clients: Regulated : Yes $100
Sign Up 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Swissquote logoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
Pros: Cons:
Market-leading regulatory framework Minimum balance requirements
Trader focused site design Not available in some countries
Track record of over 20 years
Reliable and cost-effective trading platform
Extensive range of markets on offer

 

 

1000 EURBank: 1.1 EU traders: 1
VT markets logoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • Access the market depth window to view the top bids and offers.
  • Place trading alerts.
  • Execute trades with the assistance of robots (Expert Advisors).
No minimum deposit From 0.0 pips
Trade360 LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • All trading strategies allowed
  • No restrictions on profitability
  • Top trading conditions
$450From 0.0 pips
Oanda Logo77% of retail CFD accounts lose money US Clients: Yes Regulated : Yes
  • No Minimum Deposit
  • Over 100 instruments
  • Web, desktop, mobile platform and MT4
  • Best Retail FX Platform 2018
  • FCA & ASIC Authorized and Regulated
  • Founded in 1996 with HQ in Toronto, CA
Nonefrom 1.2
LiteForex LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes

– Regulated broker
– Only $50 min. deposit
– Wide range of Trading Instruments
– MT4, MT5 and Web Trader Platforms
– 24/5 technical support
– Use ECN technologies

$50 From 1 pips
HYCM LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes

– Regulatory compliance is under the auspices of the FCA in the UK, the SFC in Hong Kong, the DFSA in Dubai, and by way of the MiFID for the European Union.
Up to $5,000 Welcome Bonus (T&C apply) Applicable only for HYCM Limited

$201.8 pips
Exness logoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • Instant automated withdrawals 24/7
  • Commission-free Standard accounts
  • Some of the lowest spreads on the markets and stable execution
  • Unlimited leverage
  • Free VPS Hosting
Starting from $10 on Standard and $200 on Professional accountsAs low as 0 on Raw Spread and Zero accounts
Forex Broker City Index Logo75% of clients lose money. Capital at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes

– FCA, NFA, CFTC, IIRO, FSA, CIMA, MAS, SFC Regulated.
– Award winning platform.
– Beginner Friendly.
– Well established, safe and trusted.

£100Varied
iq option71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money US Clients: No Regulated : Yes

– 50 Euros minimum deposit
– State of the art platform
– 24/7 support in more than 17 languages
– Free demo account

20 EurosVaries
Sign Up 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money
CCI Traders logoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
SquaredFinance LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes $100From 0.0 pips
IC Markets LogoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • All trading strategies allowed
  • No restrictions on profitability
  • Top trading conditions
$200From 0.0 Pips
BDSwiss trader logoYour capital is at risk US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
  • Low-cost trading
  • Excellent research and analysis
  • Great trading experience
10€ / $ / £ (depends on account type and region)1.2 pips
Sign Up Trading in Forex/ CFDs and Other Derivatives is highly speculative and carries a high level of risk. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.

    Hopefully, you are now aware of just how many scam brokers there are out there, and how to avoid them, but fraudsters are persistent and new scam sites appear all the time. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, report it to the FCA and the police, as soon as possible. It is likely you are not alone and may help others to avoid the scam broker.


    Forex Fraud Analyst Team

    Latest news

    Football Star jailed for Defrauding Friends and his Church
    City of London police found former Premier League footballer Richard Rufus to be operating a £15m scam. Read more
    Unauthorised and Scam Forex Brokers for March 2023
    Unauthorised and scam brokers are more common than you might think, and they are often very convincing. Read more

    Safest Forex Brokers 2023

    Broker Info Best In Customer Satisfaction Score
    #1 AvaTrade LogoYour capital is at risk Founded: 2006 Globally regulated broker
    Number One Broker
    BEST CUSTOMER SUPPORT Visit broker
    4.9
    #2 BlackBull Markets LogoYour capital is at risk Founded: 2014 Global Forex Broker
    Number One Broker
    BEST SPREADS Visit broker
    4.8
    #3 73 % of retail CFD accounts lose money Founded: 2014 Global Forex & CFD Broker
    Number One Broker
    Best Trading Conditions Visit broker
    4.9
    #4 Forex Broker eToro Logo67% of CFD traders lose Founded: 2007 Global CFD & FX Broker
    Number One Broker
    ALL-INCLUSIVE TRADING PLATFORM Visit broker
    4.9
    #5 Plus500 Logo79 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Founded: 2008 Global CFD Provider
    Number One Broker
    Best Trading App Visit broker
    5

      Forex Fraud Certified Brokers

      skilling logo
      ATFX Logo
      Forex.com Logo
      XM Logo
      BlackBull Markets Logo
      IQ Option Logo
      Exness Small Logo
      City Index Logo
      IC Markets Logo
      HYCM Logo
      LegacyFX Small Logo
      AvaTrade logo
      OctaFX Logo
      CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.