Spotting scams and protecting your account

People who trade attract people who want to take their money. The methods are old and repetitive, which is good news: once you recognise them, they are easy to refuse.

Offers that should end the conversation

• Guaranteed profits or "risk-free" returns. No legitimate trader or service can guarantee results. Anyone who does is selling something.
• Someone who contacts you first by message, social media, dating apps or a "wrong number" text, then moves to trading talk.
• A "mentor", "signal group" or "account manager" who asks you to deposit into an account they control, or to trade on their platform.
• Pressure and deadlines. "Only today", "spots are limited", "deposit now to unlock the bonus".
• Fees to withdraw. If you are asked to pay a tax, a "release fee" or a "verification deposit" before you can take your own money out, you are being scammed.
• Recovery services that promise to get lost money back for an upfront fee. They are a second scam aimed at the same victims.
• Remote-access requests. No honest service needs to control your computer or phone to help you.

Check who you are talking to

• The address. Look at the address bar before you sign in. Use a bookmark for this site, rather than a link from a message. Look-alike addresses differ by a single character.
• Support messages. Genuine support never asks for your password, a one-time code, or your full card details. Your password is stored hashed: nobody here can read it, so nobody here has a reason to ask for it.
• Emails. A link in an email you were not expecting is a reason to go to the site yourself instead. The real site's messages go to the address on your account and lead back to the same domain.

Protect your account

1. A unique password. Never reuse the one from your email or other sites. A long phrase of several unrelated words is better than a short complicated one.
2. Keep your email safe. Whoever controls your email can reset your passwords. Protect it at least as well as your trading account.
3. Use the Security page. It lists recent sign-ins with their network address and browser, and flags new networks. If you do not recognise one, change your password immediately.
4. Sign out on shared devices. Closing the tab does not end the session.
5. Connected sign-ins. If you use Google to sign in, protect that account too. You can disconnect it from Security, but only if you have set a password, so you are never locked out.
6. Do not share screenshots that show your balance, account number or session details.

Deposits and withdrawals

Money sent by bank transfer, mobile money or crypto is hard or impossible to get back once it is sent, so check before you send.

• Use only the methods listed on the Deposit page of your own account, with the details shown there.
• For crypto, copy the address from the page, then compare the first and last few characters before you confirm in your wallet. Malware can swap a copied address for another. Choose the same network that the page names: an asset sent over the wrong network can be lost permanently. For a large amount, send a small test first.
• Never send money to a person who says they will deposit it for you.
• Keep the reference for each deposit. Support will ask for it if something needs checking.

If something goes wrong

1. Stop sending money, even if you are told that one more payment will fix it.
2. Change your password and your email password.
3. Contact support through the Support page while signed in, with dates, amounts and references.
4. Report it to your bank or mobile-money provider quickly, since speed can matter.
5. Report fraud to the consumer or financial authority in your country.

Do not be embarrassed. These schemes are run by organised groups and catch careful people. What protects you is a habit of checking, not intelligence.

Note: Demo money has no cash value, so nobody can legitimately ask you to pay for it, withdraw it or unlock it.