How to check whether an investment firm is authorised
Check the correct regulator, product permissions and independent contact details before trusting an investment registration number.
Find the relevant regulator independently, search its official register and check the legal entity, current permissions and contact details. A company registration or copied licence number is not proof that your contact is authorised to provide the investment being offered.
Fraudsters exploit the idea that any official-looking number means a business is safe. In reality, incorporation, financial authorisation, a payment-service registration and product approval can mean different things. The right check depends on the activity and jurisdiction.
Even a genuine entry does not validate an unfamiliar website using the same name. The final step is to establish that you are dealing with the actual registered firm, not a clone using its identity.
Start with the country and activity
Identify where you live, where the firm claims to operate and what it offers: securities advice, a trading service, crypto custody or another product. Go to the relevant authority’s own website rather than a register link supplied in the pitch.
Country guides here explain starting points including the FCA in the UK, AFM and DNB in the Netherlands, and ASIC in Australia. Cross-border permissions can be complex. If the firm says it is regulated abroad, ask the actual authority whether that status permits the activity offered to you.
Read the entry beyond the matching name
Check the legal entity, trading names, licence status, restrictions and permitted activities. A firm may be authorised for one service but not another. Do not assume an investment falls within a licence simply because some financial permission exists.
Use the exact legal name on the proposed agreement and identify the entity receiving money. Save a dated copy of the entry and ask the regulator if a material point is unclear. No warning-list result is not a positive authorisation result; new scams may not yet have a warning.
Verify the contact belongs to the real firm
Compare the official website, email domain, phone number and address with those used in the offer. Call the firm through its independently listed contact and ask whether the person, product and payment instructions are theirs.
A scammer may explain differences as a temporary office, a new division or an outdated register. Do not resolve the mismatch using only their explanation. Clone firms can quote genuine registration numbers and names while directing money to a completely different account.
Know what registration cannot promise
Authorisation does not eliminate market risk, endorse every investment or guarantee compensation. Moneysmart expressly distinguishes an AFS licence from ASIC endorsement or a guarantee against loss. Protection also depends on the product and the circumstances.
If the offer cannot be verified, do not send a small “test” deposit as a substitute. If you already paid, preserve the quoted registration details and report the suspected misrepresentation. Your evidence can show why the offer looked credible without claiming the actual regulated firm was involved.
A short checklist
- Identify the jurisdiction and proposed activity.
- Search the official register independently.
- Check permissions, restrictions and legal entity.
- Confirm contact and payment details with the real firm.
- Remember that authorisation is not a profit guarantee.
Common questions
Is a company incorporation certificate enough?
No. It generally shows that a legal entity was registered, not that it has permission for a particular financial service. Check the relevant financial authority.
Does absence from a warning list mean it is safe?
No. Warning lists are not complete lists of all scams. Verify authorisation and identity positively rather than relying on the absence of a warning.
References
- Clone firms and individualsFinancial Conduct Authority · United Kingdom
- Complaints about institutionsDe Nederlandsche Bank · Netherlands
- Check before you investASIC Moneysmart · Australia
- Unauthorised firms: check and reportCentral Bank of Ireland · Ireland
