What is forex trading?
Forex is the single largest traded market globally, with up to five trillion traded each day and is considered decentralized because there is no central processor for trades– in other words, there is no entity that acts as a central exchange like the NASDAQ or the NYSE. Instead, orders are completed by millions of traders using millions of various forex brokers around the world.
Foreign currency trading is one of the most leveraged markets in the world as well. In the US, regulations limit a person to 50:1 leverage. In other countries, they have zero limits on leverage. It is not uncommon to see some non-US brokers offer 1000+:1. Due to these factors and a few others which we will discuss, this is why scams can be so prevalent within the foreign exchange market.
Is forex trading a scam?
In the investment world, forex is the wild-west of traditional financial instruments. However, most of the participants are massive institutions like banks that help companies manage cross-currency rates for payroll or buying goods. But it is by far the most accessible and cheapest investment for anyone to make. A futures broker may require a $5,000 minimum investment; whereas many firms in the foreign exchange markets require as little as $1. Day trading stocks in the US requires a $25,000 minimum balance; forex does not require this.
The ease of access to significant leverage, and the fact it is open 24 hours a day all make it the most appealing market. But this also attracts many of the bad actors. Some countries regulate forex markets – but not always to the same degree as the US. Many countries have little to no regulation and allow anyone to open a brokerage account in their country. There are many, many bad brokers around the globe – so it’s often best to stick with brokers that are based in the US, EU, or UK.
Key points:
Using a regulated broker ensures that: your money is safe, the data and information provided by the broker are compliant with industry standards, and the broker is operating legitimately and ethically.
The forex trading space is rife with services and individuals bent on defrauding new traders. Avoid bad brokers, false education programs, performance history lies, and fraudulent automated trading systems.
If you've been the victim of a Forex scam, we can investigate the fraud and provide you with the information you need to potentially reclaim your losses.
How to spot a forex scam
The scams that exist in the investment world are many. One of the hardest things for new and aspiring traders to overcome is the vast amount of wrong information, bad actors and blacklisted scam brokers trying to take advantage of you.
What can I do after a Forex scam?
Dealing with the aftermath of a Forex trading scam can be challenging, especially if you worked with an unregulated broker. But there are still ways you can come out of this messy situation. We have a proven track record of investigating cases regarding investors who have fallen victim to Forex fraud.
Our expert team will investigate your case, analyze the evidence, and provide you with a comprehensive report outlining our findings. This report will empower you to understand the scam, gather crucial information, and take the necessary steps to pursue retrieve your losses.