Verify before you invest, it's important.
Be confident in your decision
Regulators are essential for any company to have to be considered legitimate. A company’s verification is meant to ensure that the business is legitimate and adheres to all ethical practices with its personnel and clients. Sometimes, scam firms masquerading as legitimate companies begin to take advantage of potential investors in various ways. They can do so by impersonating an actual regulatory body that is doing the regulating without actually being regulated. We advise all our clients and visitors to check the list of all recognized regulators by the law globally.
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Want to know more about the company before you invest?
If you want to invest online, the safest way is to research the company first. Check that it’s legally registered in the same location where it’s based, as this will also give you an indication of its reputation and will also help you determine if the company exists or not. The scam companies pose themselves as regulated for the sake of investors and to create a sense of trust. There is another way to look for potential fraud and scams, which is by searching reviews online. If your research has led you to believe that the company is a fraud and will trick you, you may want to avoid investing in the company. Don’t be fooled by these too-good-to-be-true offers – always keep your guard up.
If you still believe you need help verifying the company, we can help you at no cost.
Regulatory Check
Online Reputation
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Check if the Financial Regulators authorize the firm.
Almost all financial services firms must be authorized by your financial regulatory– if they’re not, it’s probably a scam.
You can check the Financial Services Register to see if a firm is authorized or registered. Always access the Register from the government website, rather than through links in emails or on the website of a firm offering you an investment. Ask for the firm’s ‘company reference number’ and check that the company reference number and contact details are the same as on the Regulator’s Register. If there are no contact details on the Register or the firm claims they’re out of date, it’s probably a scam – call the Regulatory Consumer Helpline and verify the details. If you use an unauthorized firm, you won’t have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service, or if things go wrong, you’re unlikely to get any money back.
If you’re dealing with an overseas firm, you should be extra alert, check with the regulator in that country, and check the scam warnings from foreign regulators.
Check the Regulatory Warning List
Use the Regulatory Warning List to check the risks of a potential investment – you can also search to see if the firm is known to be operating without regulator authorization. Even if a firm isn’t on the list, it may still be a scam – firms change names and details all the time.
Check that if it’s not a ‘clone firm.’
A common scam is to pretend to be a genuine firm (called a ‘clone firm’); it is vital that you always check and use the contact details on the Regulatory Register and not the details the ‘clone firm’ gives you. You can also check the firm’s details with directory inquiries or the Company registrar to ensure they’re the same.
Get impartial advice or a second opinion.
Always get independent advice before investing – if you are in any doubt, get a second opinion from an adviser at a different firm. Or you can also contact us to check if the company is legitimate or not; we help you at no cost of obligations at all.
If you’re suspicious, report it.
You can report the firm or scam by contacting the Regulator’s Consumer Helpline or contacting them via email. Tell your bank immediately if you’ve given your bank account details to a firm you think may be operating a scam. Contact your pension provider immediately if you’ve agreed to transfer your pension and now suspect a scam. They may be able to stop a transfer that hasn’t taken place yet.
Avoid the ‘Suckers List’ & Be wary of future scams.
If you’ve already invested in a scam, fraudsters will likely target you again or sell your details to other criminals via the ‘suckers list. Any follow-up scam may be completely different or related to a previous fraud, such as an offer to get your money back or buy back the investment after you pay a fee.