BTCKingdom review – 5 things you should know about Btckingdom.com

Beware! BTCKingdom is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.

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BTCKingdom is a CFD brokerage which emphasizes on crypto currency trading and we believe is based in Bulgaria. It provides а web-based trading platform, not the the MetaTrader 4 platform. Clients are extended a leverage of just 1:5 and have a wide range of currency pairs available.

BTCKingdom regulation & safety of funds

Рeading through the terms and conditions of the brokerage we discern that the website is actually operated by a Bulgarian company with the name BTC Kingdom. Bulgaria a member-state of the European Union and online Forex trading is duly integrated within its regulatory framework which is modeled after the ESMA guidelines.

However, we find no mention of a license by the Bulgarian authorities – thus we may safely conclude that the brokerage BTC Kingdom does not fall under any regulatory oversight whatsoever.  However, the brokerage does inform us about its trading conditions and it provides a web-based trading platform. Through a demo account we could get a look at it.

The wide variety of crypto CFDs available on the platform include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Monero, NEO,Litecoin,Emercoin, Fantomcoin, Nxt Dodgecoin, Ethereum,Steem Dollars, DigitalNote, Bytecoin, Dashcoin,  Ripple, NEM and EOSH. However, the platform itself kllacks many features that are considered in today’s market to be essential – the advanced charting tools and the option to run automated trading sessions, which are present with the MetaTrader 4 platform. The platform is also quite oversimplified and gives of the impression it is fake.

Furthermore, while researching the brokerage we came upon an official warning issued against it by the Belgian financial watchdog. This means the brokerage has been blacklisted and is most certainly involved in illegal activities and scam operations.

Putting aside the trading conditions of the brokerage – the lack of regulation and the official warning incline us to suspect that potential clients of the brokerage may be exposed to substantial risk.

Traders needn’t have to worry themselves with such risk if they choose to trade with a brokerage regulated and authorized by a prestigious regulatory agency. Such agencies are the FCA in the UK or CySec in Cyprus which have been leading names in Forex trading for some time now. Their regulatory framework is composed of a number of strict rules which prevent clients from falling victims to fraud. Such rules include the segregation of accounts which assures that commingling with the client’s money is not possible. Furthermore, a license by such a regulatory body entails participation in a financial mechanism by which clients may be compensated if they suffer losses due to fraud or bankruptcy. With the FCA the compensation is up to 85 000 pounds, where as with CySEC it is up to 20 000 euro per person.

Rnbinance deposit/withdrawal methods and fees

Potential clients of the brokerage may deposit or withdraw via the standard Visa, MasterCard and bank wire, as well as Skrill, Neteller and WebMoney, Bitcoin and Cardsay.

Going through the terms and conditions of the brokerage we did come upon any worrisome withdrawal conditions. Here is a screenshot:

The brokerage makes it almost impossible to be eligible for withdrawal through absurd trading turnover requirements. We did not find any withdrawal fees, however, this is no guarantee the brokerage won’t charge any other unexpected fees. This is why we advise traders to always 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?

Even though the forex trading world is extremely large and encompasses millions of people around the globe, the most common scamming is pretty simple and straightforward and as such – it’s not particularly daring to avoid. Here is a quick overview of how it is done:

Through clicking an ad with promises for fast money, you will be redirected to a website such as Bitcoin Evolution or Cashless PayGroup 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 angle here is pretty blunt – traders have a limited time period for filing a chargeback with their bank and get their money back. The “recovery department” will simply want to mislead you into missing thе crucial period and, along the way, losing any chance you might have of getting the money back.

It is important here to take notice that both Visa and MasterCard are taking measures to combat unregulated forex brokerages by classifying all forex transactions as high risk. And with the case BTC Kingdom – they are correct in doing so. Furthermore, supporting their intention with clear actions – MasterCard has increased the previous time period of six months for filing a chargeback to a year and a half.

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. 

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!