Beware! OptionFX is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.
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OptionFX is a Forex brokerage registered in the Marshall Islands. It provides a web-based trading platform, not the MT4 trading platform. The selection of trading products is diverse but the spread on EUR/USD is 3 pips which is twice the industry average. The required minimum deposit is quite tempting at only $200.
OptionFX regulation & safety of funds
According to the website the company behind the brokerage is registered in the Marshall Islands with a standard address we have seen countless other brokerages use. Here is a screenshot:
We read that the company behind the brokerage is registered with the name Option Four Ltd. We stress the fact that 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. The brokerage further gives grounds for questioning its legitimacy due to the lack of information on the website and in the terms and conditions. All this, including the offshore location of the brokerage and the lack of relevant information 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.
OptionFX Trading Software:
The brokerage does not provide the MetaTrader 4 trading platform which is something we always consider a dire disadvantage since the MT4 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). However, there is a web-based trading platform with an available test-drive which is a nice surprise since unregulated brokerages usually do not offer a demo account. Here is as a screenshot:
Through the demo account we could see a spread of 3 pips which is quite high and unfavorable in our view, especially compared to the industry average. Furthermore, the leverage goes up to 1:100, unhindered by any leverage caps, however, we do point out the extremely high leverage which hides the risk of the trader losing more than the initial deposit which is not uncommon in Forex trading. Precisely because of this European regulators have set a leverage cap of 1:30; something offshore brokers such as OptionFX may ignore.
OptionFX Markets deposit/withdrawal methods and fees
Traders may deposit or withdraw via the standard Visa, MasterCard, as well as popular e-wallets such as Neteller, Skrill and PayPal.
We did find provisions worth noting in the terms and conditions. Here is a screenshot:
We read that there is a 1 percent/$30 withdrawal fee for all payment methods which certainly isn’t excessive but worth noting nonetheless. We didn’t find any dormant account fees or bonus withdrawal conditions. 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!
Patrick
I opened an account with Optionfx.trade earlier this year.
I had a phone call in August from Richie Hart of OptionFX. He was very convincing and I decided I would try it. I did check their website out online and I could not find anything to suggest that it could be a scam.
Then I had a phone call from Gavriel Arias, who introduced himself as my Financial Advisor. He was advising me about trading and I made some small profit. He convinced me to up my investment. I lodged €3,000.00 on 09/08/2019 on the agreement that he would refund €400.00 every month to repay the loan. This did not affect me withdrawing my money if I decided to do that. He said I could withdraw my own money at any time.
Over the next weeks, I made some more profit. I then began to get suspicious because Gavriel was not keeping his appointments with me. Then I decided to withdraw my money.
On the 22nd Sept. 2019, I made a withdrawal request for €2.600.00 as I had received €400.00, as per agreement, on 20th Aug 2019.
I have not heard from them since despite sending them many emails. And trying to contact them via telephone.
Florence
I have been Trading with them for almost 3months now everything has been going fine cos i had experience in trading so i was able to make profit. some weeks back i tried to withdraw my profit it wasnt sucessful so i called the support department for their asssistance and they kept tossing me around till date i have not been able to withdraw my profit.
Mandy Meehan
I invested a lot of money late last year and when I tried to withdraw my money it was not successful to date I ave received nothing and they are now contacting me again to try to get more money out of me.