Beware! HQ Broker is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.
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HQBroker is a Forex brokerage registered in the Marshall Islands. It provides the MT4 trading platform and an extremely generous leverage of up to 1:1000. Furthermore, there is a wide range of trading products from which to choose and a required minimum deposit of $250 which is about the industry average. The spread on EUR/USD is fixed at 2 pips which is a bit above the industry average of a pip and a half.
HQBroker regulation & safety of funds
According to the website the company behind the brokerage is registered in the Marshall Islands by the name Capzone Invest Ltd. We further read that the customer-support is situated in Honk Kong which is quite odd. Such irregularities in the corporate information are usually signs of trouble. Furthermore, the Marshall Islands has become a top-destination for would-be scammers due to its very liberal laws regarding the registering of companies. The government does not even require for someone to be physically there in order to register a company. Such a loophole has surely been noticed by many ill-minded brokers and utilized.
It’s safe to assume that the brokerage does not fall under any regulatory oversight because the government of the Marshall Islands does not include Forex trading within its regulatory framework. However, in order to be impartial – we must say that the brokerage provides the MT4 trading terminal which is well-received by traders and reviewers alike. Here is a screenshot:
Through a demo account we could sea a fixed spread of 2 pips on EUR/USD which is a bit high in our view. The leverage also troubles us – 1:1000 is extremely high as well and hides the risk for clients of losing much more then their initial deposit. Furthermore, the offshore location of the brokerage and the obvious lack of regulation highly inclines us to suspect that potential clients of the brokerage may be open to substantial risk.
We urge traders to exclude such risk in trading by only associating with brokers regulated by prestigious regulatory agencies, such as the FCA and CySec, which require compliance with a number of strict rules that give significant assurance for the security of the clients funds.
The segregation of accounts is among the rules which are especially important in the trading world, because it drastically lowers the risk of possible commingling.
Another is the participation in a compensatory scheme by which the client’s losses will be covered in the unlikely case the broker goes bankrupt or attempts to swindle traders.
HQBrokers deposit/withdrawal methods and fees
Potential clients of the brokerage may deposit or withdraw via a very limited option of payment methods. They include the standard Visa and MasterCard, as well wire transfer. We came across a minimum withdrawal amount of $50. We couldn’t find any troubling withdrawal fees in the terms and conditions, however, this is no guarantee there aren’t any.
This is why we always advise traders to put up only the required minimum deposit, instead of risking a bigger amount with no certainty. Afterwards, they may also try to withdraw a small amount in order to check for any unexpected fees or delays. Such fees and delays are usually the signs of a scammer.
How does the scam work?
Unfortunately, the possibility of a scam looms over almost every trade in forex, especially if you are dealing with an unregulated brokerage. That is why we believe traders should be acquainted with the methods of a scam. Here is how it would typically go about:
Through clicking an ad with promises for fast money, you will be redirected to a website such as Bitcoin Evolution or Crypto Cash where registration will require you to give your address, email and phone number. After sharing your personal information, you will being receiving calls from brokers, compelling you to invest with them and win big. After a few minutes hearing their pitches, you decide to deposit some $200-250. And just like that – the scammers take a fat commission from this initial deposit.
After they are done with you, senior scammers begin working you into putting even more money. They say it’s the only way to profit from trading even more. After making the mistake of investing even further, you’ll begin wanting to get out of this and withdraw what you have left.
Unfortunately, the con-artists have no such thing in mind. They will now begin persuading you to wait it out and not withdraw right now. The motive here is quite straightforward – traders have a limited time window for filing a chargeback with their bank and get their money back. The “recovery department” will simply want to mislead you into missing this crucial period and, along the way, losing any chance you might have of getting the money back.
What to do when scammed?
As was mentioned above, scamming is quite the common in the trading world and, sadly, even you might suffer from it. In such an unfortunate case there still may be some available options for you.
You may contact your bank or credit card provider and file a chargeback. Furthermore, due to the high instances of fraud – both Visa and MasterCard have decided to sidestep scammers as best they can in Forex trading. The first thing we have seen so far is that MasterCard has increased the previous time period of six months for filing a chargeback to a year and a half with their rival Visa expected to follow suit in December.
If, however, you have provided the broker with your credit card details, immediately cancel your credit card.
If you have given information regarding your online banking pass – you should switch it asap!
Beware of potential calls from self-described “recovery agencies”! They prey on scammed and vulnerable traders who are desperate to recover their losses. They will require an “up-front” payment to help you, but after paying them, no such help will be coming your way!
