The broker site was a perfect copy. My balance wasn't.

I wanted to invest and found a broker site that looked professional—URL close enough that I mistyped once and still believed I was on the real firm.

Deposits showed gains; withdrawals hit verification delays, then fees.

The domain changed; my balance reset.

The real broker had published an impersonation warning I had not read.

Clone sites mirror real brokers to capture deposits.

Money never leaves their control; technical issues are intentional.

Rising balances made doubt feel premature.

When the new URL appeared and support stopped answering, the official site’s fraud notice described the same playbook.

Savings and trust in DIY investing took a long hit.

I open brokers only from typed URLs or saved bookmarks—never ads or messages.

• Access financial sites only via official URLs you verify.
• Report clones to the real firm and FTC / FCA.

For more help, see our Report a scam page and Spot and avoid scams guide.