When searching for brokers to conduct your trading activities with, the first and most important step should always be to learn about their certification(s). This will tell you whether they are regulated by a central authority or if Brokeragea.com is an offshore and/or unregulated entity.
When a broker is unregulated or regulated by an entity outside of your jurisdiction, you have limited to no legal recourse in the event that your funds are compromised. In an event of theft, complaints can only be made if that broker is licensed by the regulator in your jurisdiction. Some examples of regulatory authorities that issue brokerage licenses are:
- The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
- The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
If a broker is not licensed by the regulatory authority in your jurisdiction, that likely means that they are unregulated and should be avoided. Even if the brokerage is regulated, it is best to avoid it if the regulator happens to be outside your jurisdiction.
How Online Trading Scams Work
One of the most prevalent online trading scams is to initially display profitable trades that give the investor a false sense of confidence, and get them hooked to the idea of ‘easy money’. Once this confidence is established, the investor will be marketed the idea of investing more money to earn greater returns. Additionally, other incentives may also be provided to encourage the investor to get their friends and family onboard the platform too.
Once the brokerage believes that they have extracted all available funds from an investor and his/her network, they will then proceed to suspend the account, and the investor will no longer be able to access the funds put in.
Many fraudulent firms will even claim to be domiciled in a regulated jurisdiction, and display fake regulatory licenses and addresses on their websites to try and improve their credibility with unsuspecting investors.
Be careful and verify your information through multiple sources. Constant vigilance should be applied at all times when sending money online.
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