Regulatory authorities in several major and emerging markets have intensified enforcement against unlicensed and potentially fraudulent trading platforms, issuing warnings and orders against 18 brokerage entities over the past seven days. The actions span Europe, the Middle East, Australia and unregulated entities operating without any recognised licence.
United Kingdom and Australia Flag Unauthorised Firms
In the United Kingdom, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued public warnings against three entities: Quanta North, Ellington Ltd, and WealthW Group. According to the regulator, these firms are suspected of offering financial services without proper authorisation and may be targeting UK retail investors through cold calling and social media campaigns.
In Australia, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has highlighted two firms, ASL and Gama Global Markets. ASIC has advised investors that these entities are not licensed to deal in financial products in Australia.
European Regulators Increase Investor Alerts
Several European supervisors have added new names to their warning lists. Spain's Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) has flagged Trade Suite for operating in the country without the required registration.
Italy's Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa (CONSOB) has ordered TibiPro to cease its unlawful promotion of trading services directed at Italian citizens.
In Switzerland, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has placed UBK Markets, NextGen Strategie AG, and NeoSwissTrade under scrutiny. FINMA warns that these entities are not authorised and may be engaged in unauthorised asset management activities.
Greece's Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) has issued warnings against three additional firms: Altus FX, TradeVexa, and Viva Trade Funds, cautioning Greek investors against engaging with these unapproved brokers.
Middle East Actions and Unregulated Platforms
In the United Arab Emirates, two regulators have taken steps against suspect entities. The Securities and Commodities Authority has warned that "Clone 200Invest" is a cloned firm mimicking a legitimate investment company. Separately, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has flagged ForTradeD IFC for unauthorised financial promotions.
Alongside the regulatory actions, three entities have been identified as entirely unregulated: 4 Pro Market, Verity Markets, and Complate Capital. These firms are described as operating without any credible licence from either major or minor financial authorities.
In total, 18 firms have been cited during the period, ranging from cloned entities and unregulated startups to platforms facing formal warning notices. The wave of actions underscores ongoing efforts by global regulators to alert investors to unauthorised providers and to limit the spread of fraudulent or high-risk trading operations.
