How do I check whether a trading firm is regulated?

Find the legal entity name and registration number in the firm’s terms, then search for that entity on the relevant regulator’s own public register, typing the register address in manually. Confirm the permissions cover the service offered to you, and check for published warnings.

A platform is asking me to pay a fee to withdraw. Is that normal?

Being asked to send additional money in order to release your own balance is a well-known warning sign. Stop sending money, keep all records, and report it through the official fraud or regulatory channel in your country.

Does a licence mean my money is safe?

No. Supervision addresses conduct, capital requirements, client-money handling and complaint routes. It does not remove market risk, and protections differ between entities and countries.

Someone called me about an AI trading account. What should I do?

Treat unsolicited contact as a reason for extra caution. Do not act during the call, do not install software, and verify the entity independently before any further conversation.

Avoiding scams

For safety-first investors: verifying a firm before you trust it

Some readers arrive here because something already feels wrong: a cold call, an unexpected message, a website that looks polished but answers none of the obvious questions. Others simply refuse to send money anywhere they have not checked. Both instincts are correct.

This path is about verification rather than selection. It will not tell you where to invest. It will show you how to establish who you would be dealing with, what supervision actually exists, and which behaviours reliably precede losses.

Fit check

Is this path for you?

This is for you if

You want to check a specific firm or offer before doing anything else.
Someone has contacted you unprompted about a trading or "AI" opportunity.
You are helping a parent, partner or friend evaluate something that worries you.
You are comfortable walking away from anything you cannot verify.

Probably not for you if

You want a shortlist of "approved" firms. Verification is something you do yourself, on the regulator’s register, for the specific entity you would contract with.

Scope

Questions this path helps you answer

Which legal entity would actually hold my money, and where is it based?
Which regulator supervises that entity, and does its own register confirm it?
What happens to my money if the firm fails?
How do withdrawals work, how long do they take, and what can block them?
Which behaviours should make me stop immediately?
What can I do if I have already deposited and cannot get money out?

Be aware

Risks and limitations

Brand names are not entities

A marketing brand, a website and an app can all sit above a legal entity you have never heard of, in a jurisdiction with limited supervision. Always find the entity name in the terms and check that name — not the brand — with the regulator.

Regulatory claims are easy to fake

Licence numbers, registration badges and regulator logos can be copied onto any page. They only mean something when you find the same entity, with the same number, on the regulator’s own public register, and the permissions cover the service being offered to you.

The withdrawal is the test, not the deposit

Deposits are always easy. Problems surface at withdrawal: new verification demands, "tax" or "release" fees, bonus conditions that lock the balance, or an account manager who becomes unreachable. Any payment demanded in order to release your own money is a red flag.

Recovery offers are often a second fraud

People who have lost money are frequently approached again by someone promising to recover it for an upfront fee. Report losses through official channels in your country instead.

Supervision is not a guarantee

Even a properly supervised firm can lose your money through market risk. Regulation addresses conduct, capital and complaint routes; it does not make an investment safe.

Before depositing anywhere, confirm which legal entity you would be contracting with and which regulator supervises it, then check that entity on the regulator’s own public register. Entity, protections and product availability differ by country, and a brand name on a website is not proof of anything.

Practical

Your checklist

Find the legal entity in the terms and conditions
Not the brand on the homepage — the company name, registration number and registered address you would be contracting with.
Search the regulator’s public register yourself
Type the register address in manually rather than following a link supplied by the firm. Confirm the entity, the permissions and any published warnings.
Check who holds client money and how it is segregated
Look for a clear statement on client-money segregation and which bank or custodian is used.
Read the withdrawal terms before the deposit terms
Minimums, processing times, fees, and any condition that could freeze the balance.
Test contactability
A real address, a working complaints route, and answers in writing. Refusal to put anything in writing is decisive.
Refuse bonuses and "managed" accounts
Both commonly attach conditions that transfer control of your money or lock it in place.
Never install remote-access software
No legitimate firm needs to control your device to help you deposit or trade.
Keep every record
Screenshots, emails, names, times and payment references. If something goes wrong, this is what a complaint or report is built on.

Reading order

Your learning path

Step 1 — Verification basics

Step 2 — Recognising the patterns

Step 3 — Understand what you would be buying

Step 4 — How we assess, so you can disagree with us

Common questions

Frequently asked

How do I check whether a trading firm is regulated?: Find the legal entity name and registration number in the firm’s terms, then search for that entity on the relevant regulator’s own public register, typing the register address in manually. Confirm the permissions cover the service offered to you, and check for published warnings.
A platform is asking me to pay a fee to withdraw. Is that normal?: Being asked to send additional money in order to release your own balance is a well-known warning sign. Stop sending money, keep all records, and report it through the official fraud or regulatory channel in your country.
Does a licence mean my money is safe?: No. Supervision addresses conduct, capital requirements, client-money handling and complaint routes. It does not remove market risk, and protections differ between entities and countries.
Someone called me about an AI trading account. What should I do?: Treat unsolicited contact as a reason for extra caution. Do not act during the call, do not install software, and verify the entity independently before any further conversation.

Next step

Where to go from here

Go to the safety centreVerification, red flags and reporting routes in one place.See how we evaluate platformsOur criteria, limits and disclosure rules.

Educational content only. Nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice, and nothing on this page is a recommendation to use any particular provider or product. Trading and investing involve risk, including the loss of the amount invested.