Beware! Live Markets is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.
RECOMMENDED FOREX BROKERS
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Open trading accounts with at least two brokers.
Live Markets is a shady broker that functions as an offshore company, offering a levrage of 1:10, and 1:40 for VIP account users. The broker offers only crypto currencies as its sole asset category. Read on to find out more.
LIVE MARKETS REGULATION AND SAFETY OF FUNDS
The terms and conditions claim the parent company of the broker, Ventura Communication Ltd, is regitered under the laws of the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Commonwealth of Dominica is certainly not a destination that is associated with license issuers for brokers, or any other financial institutions. Furthermore, the country, even though regulating the banking sector and some non-banking institutions, does not do the same for forex and CFD brokers. So, the broker may be registered there and bound by the local laws, but it needs a regulation a proper one, in order to function as a legitimate forex broker. Furthermore, the website offer no other info on any other location, and most importantly, there is no actual mention that the broker is regulated. We have to conclude that LiveMarkets is UNREGULATED, and as such is an unsafe environment for investments.
Traders should be trading with risk-free brokers, that hold licensed from renowned and austere agencies, like the FCA or CySec , which have made a name for themselves as some of the top regulators. Readers should be aware that both agencies have adapted very strict rules of conduct, and their licensing framework guarantees safety and security for all clientele. A good example of this is the segregation of accounts which assures that client money and broker money are kept in separate accounts. Furthermore, FCA/CySEC brokers participate in a financial reimbursement scheme that cover traders losses in case the broker becomes insolvent. The FCA provides up to 85 000 pounds per person, while CySEC guarantees up to 20 000 euros.
LIVE MARKETS TRADING PLATFORM
We were unable to register an account, becasue the broker blocked any registry from our country of residence. However, even without a registration, we were able to very easily access the trading platform, although we were not able to buy/sell crypto. The trading terminal in usage here is extrememly basic, however it does offer pending orders and a decent amont of chart customization options. However, aside from these functions, the trader offers no other incentives. Our advice to all clients is to stick to the MT4 which has multiple times proven to be the most reliable trading software out there.
As mentioned before, this broker has only cryptocurrencies as assets. On the top image you can see the most common crypto assets, with their corresponding sell/buy prices. The leverage on the trading platform is capped at 1:10, eventhough the broker claims on the website that it is 1:30 on average.
In the legal documents, the broker makes it clear that it has the right to close down any open positions the trader has, should his or her margin reach 100%, or if the margin drops below 90%.
LIVE MARKETS DEPOSIT/WITHDRAWAL METHODS AND FEES
Since we could not log in, we had to take info from the website concerning deposit and withdrawal methods and fees.
Deposit are said to be made via Credit/Debit cards, Wire Trasnfer, and major e-wallet services. The minimum deposit is $250.
The minimu withdrawal via credit cards is $10, and $30 for Wire Trasnfer. It does not say that users can withdrawal via e-wallets. Withdrawal fees of $50 are activated when an account is not maintained via a credit card, and when the withdrawal is between $1000 and $4999. If the sum is higher than $5000, and there is no credit card, then the withdrawal fee is 1% of the entire withdrawable amount or $50 if that 1% does not equal $50. If the withdrawa amount is $250or less, and the user uses a credit card, then the broker will charge a $25 fee. For an account ranging from $250 to $4999, and should the user be using a credit card, then the withdrawal will be charged with $50. For an account that uses a bonus that has not reached the Leverage Amount (volume requirement for withdrawing) of bonus*20 000, then the user’s withdrawable amount will be charged with 20%. Such a confusing fee strucutre is alwasy a clear sing of an illicit broker.
We strongly advise traders to only deposit the minimum deposit, or better yet- not deposit at all! As for the withdrawals, scammers are known to either deny such requests, or impose incoming and unexpected charges.
How does the scam work?
The most common type of scamming is in fact a very simple scheme that involves multiple level of commitment from both the victim and the fraudulent broker. In the following section we will dive into the individual elements that make up this scenario.
Users of the net will be lured or intrigued by the countless ads that float around the internet, mostly on popular websites such as social media hubs. These ads promise fast money, and are accompanied either by images of luxury or made up testimonials. Clicking on them redirects users to a so called robo-scam website such as Profit Revolution or Bitcoin Revival, where a simple registration process will require from you a telephone number and email address. We assure traders, that once these details have been shared, they will shortly get a call from the broker or brokers, on whose ad you just “stumbled”; this is when the game begins. The voice on the other end of the line will urge you to deposit in their broker some $250 (approximately), by reassuring you of the possibilities of profit, and the like.
Should you deposit, the initial scammer has just earned a hefty commission from this deposit. Now it’s time for the senior scammer to talk you into depositing more, by claiming that the only way to increase profits is to deposit more and larger sums. These second level frauds are great talkers, charismatic and influential, twisting their lies to sound like the absolute truth.
At some point or another, the trader will inevitably start suspecting something, and will want to withdrawal his/her funds. At this point, the con artists will delay the withdrawal process by persuading you to wait, or by referring to their legal documents that cover specific withdrawal clauses- excuses vary from broker to broker. This delaying process is crucial to them, for trader have a limited time to file for a chargeback with their respective bank. Once the chargeback time frame runs out, traders will have lost their money for ever.
What to do if scammed?
VISA and MasterCard users will be happy to know that have extended their charge back request period to 540 days for when online scams occur. In case a chargeback is unavailable for some reason, the next immediate route is to cancel your credit card ASAP.
Those of you who deposited using VISA and MasterCard will be glad to know that both companies have extended their chargeback time span to 540 days, especially if the reason for it is an online scam.
If any bank details have been shared, like banking pass or security code, traders should be aware that scammer will most certainly attempt to drain your account. In such a case, immediately block the account or change the password.
We also urge users to be very careful with the so called “recovery agents” that promise to recover lost money from unlicensed broker. They charge a fee for their alleged services, and will unquestionably not recover any previous deposit, basically scamming you a second time.
