Risk scorecard
Each area is scored 0 (clean) to 10 (worst). Higher means more risk.
Regulation
9/10 · CriticalNo licence in force while it took deposits. Claimed Vanuatu VFSC (absent from the current licensee list) and a New Zealand FSP registration (a directory listing, now deregistered); never FCA authorised.
Identity & transparency
8/10 · CriticalRotating shell companies (two UK, one NZ, all dissolved or removed), a Hong Kong director behind NZ and UK shells, and a UK address not matching any active entity. Opaque and misleading.
Withdrawals & conduct
5/10 · ModerateGenuine fund-access complaints (withdrawal delays, frozen accounts) across review platforms, but thin and without transactional specifics; the firm then disappeared, leaving clients no recourse.
Reputation
6/10 · HighNet-negative: Trustpilot 2.5 of 5 on a handful of reviews, multiple review sites flag it as unregulated, and a dispute body expelled it. No government warning and a limited overall footprint.
Website claims
8/10 · CriticalNamed a company dissolved since 2019 as its operator, implied a UK base with no FCA authorisation, and displayed unverifiable 'best broker' awards and tier-1 bank liquidity claims.
Operational history
4/10 · ModerateLong verified history (domain 2010, NZ company 2011, a real MT4 platform for over a decade) which lowers this score, offset by entity churn through dissolved shells and the operation now being defunct.
Who they are
A quick desk file on the company behind the brand.
- Brand: StarfishFX (Starfish FX)
- Legal entity: Starfish Markets Limited, a New Zealand company (number 3664191), now removed. The operator also used two UK companies named Starfish Markets Ltd, both dissolved.
- Registered: Incorporated in New Zealand (company now removed); the site latterly showed a UK address at 6 Prospect Way, Royal Oak Industrial Estate, Daventry, England. A listed director is based in Hong Kong.
- Website: starfishfx.com (now offline)
- Only licence: None in force. It historically claimed a Vanuatu VFSC reference (7663-VR003531) and a New Zealand FSP registration (FSP272925), neither of which is current.
- Offers: Forex, CFDs, commodities and binary options on MetaTrader 4
- Not accepted: United States residents and citizens
- Age claim: Domain registered 2010; New Zealand company incorporated 2011; marketed with awards dated 2013 to 2015
Regulation
Who really oversees this broker, and what each licence is worth to you.
Proof of regulation on an official register: No
We could not confirm this broker on any genuine regulator’s register.
Licences the broker publishes
Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC)
New Zealand Financial Service Providers Register (FSPR)
Why we reached this verdict
How the evidence adds up.
We reached a likely-scam, high-risk assessment because the operation repeatedly presented regulatory and corporate credentials it did not hold, and has now disappeared.
- No genuine licence anywhere. StarfishFX does not appear on the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission's current Financial Dealers Licensee list. Its New Zealand financial-service-provider registration is no longer current, and such a registration is a directory listing rather than an FMA trading licence. The UK FCA never authorised it.
- It named a dissolved company as its operator. The site that was live in 2025 stated that all services were provided by Starfish Markets Limited at a Daventry, England address. UK records show that company (number 09075137) was dissolved on 24 September 2019. The New Zealand company of the same name was removed on 23 June 2022.
- A UK shopfront with no UK permission. Showing an England base while holding no FCA authorisation is a known way to borrow credibility a firm has not earned.
- An industry dispute body cut it off. The Financial Commission expelled StarfishFX in October 2018 for breaching its membership rules, which ended the compensation and complaint-handling route it had advertised.
- Clients report trouble getting money out. Reviews describe withdrawal delays and frozen accounts alongside unanswered support.
- It has gone dark. The website no longer resolves. For an operation that held client funds, vanishing is the worst outcome for the people still owed money.
On balance we assess the risk of fraud as high, while noting the limits set out in the next section.
Evidence ledger
Every finding, with its source and how strongly it points.
E1New Zealand Companies Office record: Starfish Markets Limited (3664191) incorporated 12 December 2011 and Removed on 23 June 2022; the record lists trading name Starfish FX, website www.starfishfx.com and email cs@starfishfx.com, with one director based in Kowloon, Hong Kong. This anchors the brand to the entity and shows it is struck off.
E2UK Companies House record: Starfish Markets Ltd (09075137), incorporated 6 June 2014 at 6 Prospect Way, Royal Oak Industrial Estate, Daventry, was Dissolved on 24 September 2019. This is the exact entity and address the site named as its service provider in 2025.
StrongUK Companies HouseE3The homepage as archived on 27 August 2025 states that all services are provided by Starfish Markets Limited at the Daventry, England address, shows no regulator or licence number, and restricts US clients. By that date the named UK company had been dissolved for nearly six years and the NZ company for three.
E4The Vanuatu Financial Services Commission's current Financial Dealers Licensee list contains 65 licensees, and neither Starfish Markets nor StarfishFX appears on it. The broker's claimed VFSC reference 7663-VR003531 is not a current Vanuatu dealer licence.
E5The domain starfishfx.com was registered on 9 July 2010 and served broker content through at least August 2025, but it no longer resolves. The operation is now offline and defunct.
E6The Financial Commission, a private industry dispute-resolution body, expelled StarfishFX (Starfish Markets Ltd) effective October 2018 for breach of its membership rules after repeated opportunities to comply, removing its clients' compensation and complaint route.
ModerateFinance MagnatesE7Trustpilot rates starfishfx.com 2.5 of 5 ('Poor') on a small number of reviews, with fund-access complaints (withdrawal delays, frozen accounts) and some recovery-assistance mentions that are typical of post-collapse recovery scams.
ModerateTrustpilotE8Independent broker-review coverage reports that StarfishFX holds no valid licence from any reputable regulator (FCA, ASIC, CySEC), presents a confusing UK/Hong Kong identity, and that its website is down and the company appears out of business.
ModerateGlobal Fraud ReviewsE9An ASIC cancellation of an Australian financial services licence belongs to Starfish Financial Services Pty Ltd, a different and unrelated company. It is a name collision and is not attributed to this broker.
ModerateFX News GroupE10The operation had a genuinely long footprint: the domain dates to 2010, the New Zealand company to 2011, and it ran a real MetaTrader 4 platform (server starfish.markets.limited) for over a decade, so it was not an overnight pop-up.
The other side
The strongest case in this broker’s favour.
In fairness, several points cut the other way and are worth stating plainly.
- This was a real, long-running operation, not an overnight pop-up. The domain dates to 2010, the New Zealand company to 2011, and the site ran a genuine MetaTrader 4 platform for more than a decade.
- The documented complaints are relatively few and lack hard detail such as specific amounts, dates or ticket numbers, so we did not find proof of a large, systematic theft of client funds.
- No government regulator has published a warning naming starfishfx.com, so the case rests on registration records and conduct rather than an enforcement finding.
- An Australian licence cancellation that shows up in searches belongs to a different company, Starfish Financial Services Pty Ltd, and is not connected to this broker.
- Weak offshore licensing on its own is a risk tier, not proof of a scam; many offshore brokers are not frauds.
What would change this
What we would need to see to revise the verdict.
We would revise this assessment if clear evidence emerged.
- A current, valid licence for Starfish Markets Limited appeared on the Vanuatu, New Zealand or a top-tier regulator's own register, matching the domain starfishfx.com.
- The operators showed the brand is now run by a different, properly licensed entity with no shared ownership, and that client funds were returned when the site closed.
It would harden toward a confirmed scam if a financial regulator published a warning naming the domain, or if several clients documented refused withdrawals with amounts and dates.
Check it yourself
Official registers and warning lists. Verify every claim first-hand.
New Zealand Companies Office: Starfish Markets Limited (3664191)
Official NZ company record showing status Removed.
UK Companies House: Starfish Markets Ltd (09075137)
UK company at the Daventry address on the site, dissolved 24 September 2019.
Vanuatu VFSC: Financial Dealers Licensee list
Vanuatu's current licensee list; StarfishFX is not on it.
New Zealand Financial Service Providers Register
Check NZ financial-service-provider status; a listing here is not an FMA licence.
UK FCA Register
UK regulator register; StarfishFX holds no FCA authorisation.
FMA New Zealand warnings and alerts
New Zealand regulator's public warnings list.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about this broker’s safety.
Is StarfishFX a scam?
We rate StarfishFX a high-risk, likely scam. It operated for years without a valid financial licence, presented a UK address tied to a company that had already been dissolved, drew withdrawal complaints, and its website is now offline. Treat it as unsafe.
Is StarfishFX a fraud?
No court or financial regulator has published a fraud finding that names this firm, so we do not state that as fact. Based on the record (no valid licence, a dissolved company named as the operator, and client fund-access complaints) we assess the risk of fraud as high.
Is StarfishFX regulated?
No. It is not on Vanuatu's current licensee list, its New Zealand registration was removed, and it was never authorised by the UK FCA. The New Zealand FSP registration it once held is a directory listing, not a trading licence.
Can I withdraw my money from StarfishFX?
The website no longer loads and the company appears to have ceased operating, so withdrawals are very unlikely. Clients had already reported delays and frozen accounts before it went offline.
Is my money safe with StarfishFX?
No. There is no licence in force and no compensation scheme behind it. Any funds held with it should be treated as at serious risk.
Who is behind StarfishFX?
The brand traded as Starfish Markets Limited, a New Zealand company (now removed) whose listed director is based in Hong Kong. It also used two UK companies of the same name, both dissolved, and latterly showed a UK address.
Is StarfishFX still operating?
No. The domain starfishfx.com no longer resolves, and the most recent archived copy dates to August 2025. The New Zealand company was struck off in 2022 and the UK companies are dissolved.
What is the Vanuatu VFSC licence worth?
Little. Vanuatu is a low-tier offshore regime that offers weak protection for client money even when a licence is active. In any case, StarfishFX does not appear on the VFSC's current licensee list.
Was StarfishFX regulated in New Zealand or the UK?
It registered a New Zealand company and an FSP listing, but an FSP listing is not an FMA trading licence and the registration is no longer current. In the UK it used dissolved companies and was never authorised by the FCA.
What did the Financial Commission expulsion mean?
The Financial Commission is a private industry dispute-resolution body, not a government regulator. It expelled StarfishFX in October 2018 for breaching its rules, which ended the compensation and complaints route the broker had advertised to clients.
Is StarfishFX a clone of another broker?
We found no evidence that it impersonated a specific regulated firm, so it is not a clone. An Australian licence cancellation for 'Starfish Financial Services' concerns a different, unrelated company.
What should I do if I lost money to StarfishFX?
Collect your records and contact your bank or card provider about a chargeback, then report it to your local regulator and the police. Do not pay an upfront fee to any 'recovery' service, as those are usually a second scam.
What should I check before depositing with any broker?
Confirm a current licence directly on a top-tier regulator's own register, check the legal entity is active in its company registry, and search for independent withdrawal complaints. If the licence is only offshore or cannot be verified, treat the broker as high risk.
What we recommend
The practical takeaway from everything above.
If you are dealing with StarfishFX, protect yourself.
- Do not deposit any money. The site is offline and the company holds no valid licence.
- If you have an open balance, gather your records (deposits, statements, messages) and ask your bank or card provider about a chargeback.
- Be very careful with anyone who offers to recover your funds for an upfront fee. Recovery offers that follow a broker's collapse are frequently a second scam.
- Report the matter to your local financial regulator and the police.
- Never pay a new fee, tax or deposit demanded as a condition of releasing your balance.
This is an independent assessment of risk, not a legal ruling. Scores and verdicts follow the Wikilix broker-safety methodology and can change as new evidence appears. Review scores are treated with caution when a broker’s reviews look manipulated. Last reviewed October 11, 2026. If any detail here is out of date or incorrect, or you represent this broker, please contact us.
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