Forex trading is a high-risk activity. That’s why it’s so important to use a regulated broker, who will protect you from fraud or malpractice. But what if you’re in Australia and your only option is an unregulated broker? What are the risks?
This article discusses some of the dangers of unregulated brokers in Australia and what you can do about them.
Why use a regulated broker?
The Forex market is a highly volatile market, and the unregulated brokers in Australia don’t have the same standards as brokers in regulated countries. Any time you’re trading a currency, you’re taking a currency risk. There’s a chance that the currency will go up or down in value, instead of remaining stable.
In regulated markets, currency trading is highly regulated. In Australia, currency trading is not regulated at all. So there’s no guarantee that your currency broker will protect you from currency risk.
This means that your broker could possibly change the trading price of the currency without telling you, or they could even run away with your money! This is why it’s so important to use a regulated broker. Unregulated brokers are not obliged to protect you from fraud or malpractice. They also don’t have to post their prices publicly, so there’s no way for you to know what price they’re selling that currency at.
Despite these risks, there are ways for you to protect yourself while trading on an unregulated broker in Australia.
You should always use an Australian bank account when trading with an Australian broker, because this will limit your losses if the broker does try to run away with your money. You should also put your stop-
What if you live in Australia and can’t find a regulated broker?
If you live in Australia and want to trade forex, you are out of luck. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has instructed all forex-trading companies to cease operations.
Some forex brokers are still operating in Australia, but they are unregulated. This means they are not monitored or regulated by ASIC, so they can do whatever they want with your money.
You have to be careful with these brokers because they’re not monitored by any government agency. They’re free to do whatever they want with your money. You might even lose your full investment.
If you live in Australia and want to trade forex, you might have to look for an offshore broker. Just make sure you do your research first so you don’t get scammed.
The risks of unregulated brokers in Australia
Brokers violate Australian law if they do not have an Australian Financial Services license. When trading with an unregulated broker, it’s possible that you will not be able to trade on Australian-regulated exchanges. This can lead to some serious problems.
First, there are financial risks. If your broker doesn’t have the same protections as a regulated broker, this can put your investment at risk. For example, there is no requirement for unregulated brokers to maintain a cash reserve to cover losses.
Second, there are legal risks. When trading with an unregulated broker, this can be difficult to enforce trading rules internationally. This can make it difficult for your broker to prosecute fraud or malpractice.
Third, there are regulatory risks. Unregulated brokers can easily violate restrictions on advertising and promotions for investment products in Australia. This can lead to serious legal ramifications for the broker’s clients.
Fourth, there are compliance risks. Unregulated brokers may not comply with the same regulations that regulated brokers do. This may make it difficult for you to trade with regulated brokers in the future.
Fifth, there are security risks. Unregulated brokers may not be able to afford the same measures in place for regulated brokers to protect your private information and trades.
Lack of protection
There are a number of risks associated with using an unregulated broker in Australia.
Some Forex brokers in Australia are not licensed, which means there’s no guarantee they’ll follow the law.
Brokers may not keep your funds secure and may use them for their own purposes.
Brokers may go bankrupt and you could lose all of your money.
Brokers may engage in unscrupulous or illegal behavior and you may be unaware of it.
It’s not easy to find a regulated broker in Australia, but it’s worthwhile to take the time to do some research and find one that will protect your interests.
Fraud and scams
Unregulated brokers are not held to the same standards as regulated brokers. So, they can do things like take your money and run, charge you more than you agreed to, refuse to pay your withdrawal without a fee, or more.
The risks don’t stop there. Scams are very common in the Forex industry. Some unscrupulous brokers will advertise lower spreads or commissions in order to get you to sign up, but then make it difficult or costly for you to withdraw your funds.
While some unscrupulous brokers are ignorant of the law, others are well aware that they are breaking the law. They may have no intention of paying withdrawals without a fee, or they might refuse to return your funds after you’re suspicious about the company.
Unregulated brokers are a risk to everyone’s money. If you’ve noticed high withdrawal fees or difficulty getting your money back, it’s time to go elsewhere. That said, any broker can have a bad day. The difference between regulated and unregulated brokers is the difference between being protected by the law and being left unprotected by the law.
Lending money to traders without the trader’s consent
One major risk of forex trading with an unregulated broker is the risk of unauthorized trading. This means that a broker may lend you money, without your consent, for trading purposes. This is a highly risky practice.
Imagine you put in an order to buy a certain amount of currency at a certain time and price, but the broker misreads or misunderstands your order and lends you an amount of currency that’s higher than what you were supposed to order. The broker then places the high amount of currency on the market and “buys” it back at a lower price – and this means you lose money.
If you use an unregulated broker, there’s no way for you to know if this will ever happen. You could be trading with an unregulated broker and find out one day that you’re in the negatives because someone lent you money without your consent.
The other major risk of unregulated brokers in Australia is that they don’t have reserve requirements. If a trader deposits $10,000 into their account, the broker should maintain a minimum balance of $10,000. But what if the broker doesn’t?
If you trade with an unregulated broker and the broker doesn’t have a reserve requirement, then the broker can make trades on