Beware! TradesFly is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.
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TradesFly is a Forex brokerage registered in the Marshall Islands. It provides both a web-based trading terminal and the MT4 trading platform, as well as an extremely generous leverage of up to 1:100. Furthermore, there is a wide range of trading products from which to choose and spread on EUR/USD is the standard pip and a half. The required minimum deposit is at $250, however, we found may irregular provisions in the terms of the brokerage.
TradesFly regulation & safety of funds
According to the website the company behind the brokerage is registered in the Marshall Islands with a registered address we have seen with countless other brokerages. Here is a screenshot:
We read that the company behind the brokerage is registered with the name Brown Forex Ltd. 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. Nonetheless, it’s safe to assume that the company behind the brokerage, irrespective of its legitimacy, does not fall under any regulatory oversight because the government of the Marshall Islands does not include Forex trading within its regulatory framework.
Putting that aside, the brokerage states that it provides the MetaTrader 5 trading platform, including a web version. The MT5 is among the foremost trading terminals in Forex trading at the moment, close to 80 percent of users prefer it. The platform provides an advanced charting package, lots of technical indicators, extensive back-testing environment and a variety of Expert Advisors (EAs). Beginner traders will find the trading platform easy to use as well, due to its user-friendly lay out. We were able to register for a demo account.
We see a wide range of currency pairs and among them USD/CHF, USD/CAD, USD/CNH, USD/SEK, USD/RUB, USD/NOK, USD/MXN, USD/SGD, USD/NZD and USD/HKD. The spread on EUR/USD is the standard pip and a half which is just the industry average and clients are certainly not at a disadvantage.
Furthermore, while going through the terms and conditions we came upon a disturbing provision that is worth noting in our view. Here is a screenshot:
We read that TradesFly may act as a market maker which usually is not a problem, however, in this case it deeply troubles us since market makers only profit when the client loses and we read in another place in the terms of the brokerage that it offers MAM accounts which would result in a huge conflict of interest. What it means is that the brokerage will profit from the losses of the client while at the same time manage the accounts for the clients. Here is another screenshot:
We also read that all accounts that have taken advantage of the MAM trading service will be charged $25 fee as compensation which is absurdly high and excessive in our view. All of the outlined above, including the offshore location of the brokerage highly incline us to suspect that potential clients of the brokerage may be open 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.
TradesFly deposit/withdrawal methods and fees
Traders may deposit or withdraw only via the standard Visa, MasterCard and wire transfer, as well as bitcoin, ripple, litecoin, dash and monero.
As far as the brokerage states – there are no withdrawal fees and we did not find mention of dormant account fees and any such unfavorable provisions, however, we do urge readers to take notice of the bonus promotion conditions. Here is a screenshot:
TradesFly plainly states that traders have to achieve a trading volume of at least 3 lots for every $10 bonus granted by the broker in order to be eligible for withdrawal. Each lot is 100 000 units which means that for every $10 in bonus promotion the client has to trade more than $300 000 which is absurd and made entirely as an obstacle for withdrawing money.
As was said above – we did not find any withdrawal fees, however, this does not mean there aren’t any withdrawal fees necessarily. 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.
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!
