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How to identify Forex scams and how to prevent them

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What is a Forex Scam?

Forex scams frequently entice traders by promising them substantial returns on their investment with little to no risk.

Fraudsters utilize a variety of strategies, such as social media advertisements and the creation of bogus websites, to dupe investors.

What are forex trading scams?

The act of swapping one currency for another is known as forex trading. For overseas travel, international business, and foreign trade, currency trading is crucial.

Fraudulent foreign currency schemes are sold to unsuspecting investors through Forex trading scams. They frequently guarantee once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunities where investors can earn significant returns quickly. After receiving money from investors, scammers frequently vanish, leaving investors with nothing.

There must be a means to convert the value of one currency into another because there isn’t a single, globally accepted unit of account. This is where currency exchange becomes essential.

With that in mind, you might still be questioning, “Is forex legit, and is forex trading legit?”. Yes, forex trading is legit, but be wary of the numerous scams that plague the fx market.

How Do Forex Scams Work?

Signal providers boast of their in-depth trading expertise, skills, and references from people who attest to their abilities as a trader, a friend, and the considerable fortune they have accumulated. The novice trader is then required to pay money in exchange for trading advice from these all-knowing signal providers.

Many signal-seller scammers defraud a small group of traders before taking their money and running away. Some occasionally recommend a great deal to keep the signal money coming in. This new trick is becoming popular by the day. Even while trustworthy signal sellers execute trading operations as planned, it is advisable to practice caution.

Since they are impersonating legitimate signal selling businesses, the signal seller con artists, like other con artists, have fake reviews and a website that boasts about the tremendous profits they have generated for previous clients. Once they have your trust, they provide you with either useless or quickly forgotten information. Take anything these con artists say with a grain of salt because they lack the knowledge necessary to be effective signal sellers.

HOW TO IDENTIFY FOREX SCAMS

Watch out for these red flags to spot a currency scam and keep from falling victim to one.

Unsolicited offers:

It’s probably a fraud if you receive a call unexpectedly regarding an investment opportunity in forex. Also, never divulge personal information to a company or send money to them.

‘Risk-free’ investing:

Any organization that claims to offer risk-free investment opportunities is probably a scam because investing always carries some element of risk.

Unrealistic returns:

Forex scams frequently make too-good-to-be-true promises of significant returns on your initial investment. Any business promising instant wealth through investments is probably a scam.

Time pressure:

A company that tries to trick you into investing soon is probably a scam. Some con artists will even provide bonuses or discounts to entice you to make a direct investment.

Adverts on social media:

An increasing number of con artists promote phony investment possibilities on social media. They entice individuals by showing them pictures and videos of expensive goods.

Attempts at voice phishing

Making phony phone calls to trick victims into disclosing personal information or paying money is known as voice phishing. For example, if you get a chance to call about a fantastic forex investment opportunity, it’s probably a fraud. To immediately invest in the opportunity and make a fortune, they will ask you for money or to reveal sensitive financial data and other details. However, it would help if you never discussed these matters during such calls.

Promises Quick and High Returns

Trading forex can indeed result in high gains. However, it will take time. It’s a one-time event where you may go from having nothing to having everything in a matter of days. Nobody can guarantee you high returns quickly. If a business offers returns that seem too good to be true, stay away from it.

Fake Adverts

Scammers typically promote their trading successes falsely. They will provide screenshots with high returns to demonstrate that they are consistently working well and generating profits for their consumers. Try to find out if a neutral third party has verified the screenshots.

Lack of Information

A legitimate business will typically make its background information accessible to the public. Additionally, it will exhibit regulating agency licenses. Scammers, on the other hand, will attempt to conceal their identities. Therefore, there is a good possibility that the business you are dealing with is a scam if you can’t uncover any background information about it.

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Three Major Forex Scam Types to Avoid

People who engage in forex, money, and other trading scams are constantly looking for fresh, inventive ways to con novice traders. However, there are three main categories of a Forex scam to which customers are frequently exposed. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend how they function. Thus we will go into further detail below.

1) Robot Scams

Forex robots are not all frauds. For instance, one can use the popular MetaTrader suite of trading platforms’ Expert Advisors (EAs) to create Forex robots.

You might be able to avoid some well-known con artists by searching online for a Forex robot fraud list. To prevent any Forex robot scams you may encounter, you should also be aware of the following:

Unrealistic marketing messages:

It’s unlikely that the creator of a Forex robot will have the evidence to back up their claims if they have to “pitch” you on the idea of what it could do for you rather than demonstrating. After all, statistics aren’t lies, are they?

Very high growth returns as a percentage:

Some Forex robots promote strategies that produce more than 4,000 percent returns in just a few short years. Although this may sound amazing, it’s crucial to consider the numbers. Any gains could be lost if they stop losses on any active trades. Therefore the return might represent closed trades.

Lack of variety in scalping tactics:

Several Forex robots use a scalping strategy to trade for minimal earnings. It demonstrates a high victory rate and can inflate the results in a favorable market environment. However, market conditions can change, and if the system consistently loses more deals than it wins, a few losing trades will be enough to wipe out any gains.

Using unlicensed brokers:

Using unregulated brokers that no one has ever heard of, certain Forex robots demonstrate incredibly positive outcomes. Your spreads and commissions will be bigger if you open an account with them and will eat up much of the profit even though the results, in this case, may be favorable on their interbank spreads.

2) Signal Seller Scams

The people that send out trade ideas via forex signals provide a currency pair, direction, entry price, stop loss, and target levels. There are some things to watch out for to avoid being a victim of these forex trading scams:

Subscription fees:

Without any proof, anybody can promote spectacular results. You frequently have to pay exorbitant subscription fees to access the trades, or they start low and steal your credit or banking information to commit various types of financial fraud. Why even sell them if their trade signals are so good?

Broker-tied signals:

Some signal vendors will only provide trading signals if you open an account with their preferred broker. It is because it indicates that they might receive a kickback from the broker and are therefore encouraged to suggest any trades for you to take, whether they are profitable or not. However, some people will want to keep you prosperous so they can keep getting kickbacks from the broker, which serve as their fee for the service.

Results that have not been validated:

It’s one thing to claim that your forex signals have generated a high % return. Still, if they cannot provide a verifiable track record, it is apparent that they are not trading the calls themselves. It is a significant warning sign.

3) Phony Trading Investment Scams

Numerous advertisements exist for phony forex investment scams and fraudulent forex investment funds. Some traders have previously claimed that Forex Kings and Forex Paradise are frauds. We don’t, however, have any complex data to back up these statements. A persuasive salesperson or marketing message will persuade you to invest in a forex fund based on phantom or unconfirmed results— send them your cash, and you may sit back and enjoy the profits.

Of course, many people who send money never receive anything back. The company claims that they have never heard of you and that you have not given them any money. What began as a forex trading investment now evolves into one of those frauds involving money.

They open an account for you as another outcome with a dubious broker, typically unlicensed. However, they empty your account after one or two trades. They blame the market, but their brokerage firm receives all of it. Furthermore, it is exceedingly challenging to get your money back because fx is unregulated.

Conclusion:

Forex fraudsters frequently offer “too-good-to-be-true investment opportunities.” Swindlers will attempt to exploit your optimism, anxieties, and lack of experience when you don’t have any trading experience. Knowing the markets makes you less vulnerable to attack.

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