Investor Protection
Before you place money with any firm, take three simple steps to protect yourself.
Read the terms
Understand deposit, withdrawal, and fee conditions before transferring any money.
Keep records
Save transfer receipts and platform statements — you'll need them if you ever file a complaint.
A quick pre-investment checklist
- The firm appears on the FMC register with the exact name and licence number it gave you.
- You contacted the firm using the details on the register — not a number sent to you.
- The risks are clearly explained and nothing is described as "guaranteed".
- You were not pressured to decide quickly or to keep the investment secret.
- You understand exactly how, and how quickly, you can withdraw your money.
Customer Advisories
Common types of investment scam
Fraud evolves constantly, but most investment scams fall into a handful of recognisable patterns:
Clone-firm fraud
Criminals impersonate an FMC-authorised firm, copying its name, branding, and licence number to appear genuine.
Boiler-room scams
High-pressure sales calls pushing shares or bonds that are worthless, overpriced, or non-existent.
Recovery-room fraud
Victims of a previous scam are contacted by "recovery agents" who demand an up-front fee to get the money back.
Romance / "pig-butchering"
A trusted online relationship is used to lure the victim onto a fake trading platform over weeks or months.
Crypto-investment fraud
Fake exchanges or "managed" crypto accounts show fictitious profits to encourage ever-larger deposits.
Ponzi & pyramid schemes
"Returns" are paid from new investors' money rather than real profit, until the scheme collapses.
Fraud Awareness — Red Flags
- Promises of guaranteed or unusually high returns.
- Pressure to deposit immediately or "before the offer ends".
- Requests to pay fees or taxes before you can withdraw.
- Unverifiable licence numbers, or firms not on the FMC register.
- Account managers who discourage you from contacting the FMC or your bank.
- Requests to install remote-access software so they can "help you trade".
- Payments to a personal account, a crypto wallet, or a different company than the one you signed up with.
If you think you've been scammed
Act quickly — the sooner you report, the better the chance of stopping further loss:
Stop all payments
Do not send any more money, however convincing the reason given. Recovery fees are themselves a scam.
Contact your bank
Tell your bank immediately — they may be able to halt or recall a recent transfer.
Gather your evidence
Save messages, statements, screenshots, and the firm's details before they disappear.
Report to the FMC
File a complaint so we can investigate the firm and warn other investors.
Report the crime
Report fraud to the national reporting centre (Action Fraud) and obtain a crime reference number.
Your protections
Learning Center
How investment licensing works
What an FMC licence means — and what it does not cover.
Understanding client-money segregation
How your money should be held separately from the firm's.
What happens after you complain
A walkthrough of the FMC complaint and investigation process.
Your rights as an investor
Disclosure, fair treatment, and access to your money.
Risk & diversification basics
Why higher returns mean higher risk, and why not to put everything in one place.
Spotting fake platforms
How to tell a genuine trading platform from a convincing fake.
Glossary
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a firm is genuine?
Search the FMC register for the firm's exact name and licence number, and contact it only through the details listed there. If it is not on the register, do not invest.
I was promised guaranteed profits — is that legal?
Genuine investments never guarantee returns. Any firm promising guaranteed high profits with no risk is almost certainly a scam — report it to the FMC.
A "recovery agent" says they can get my lost money back for a fee. Should I pay?
No. Recovery-room fraud targets previous victims. Legitimate authorities never charge an up-front fee to recover funds. Report the approach to the FMC.
Will I get my money back if a firm fails?
If an authorised firm fails, eligible consumers may claim from the statutory compensation scheme up to the published limit. Cover does not usually extend to unauthorised or overseas firms.