Is it licensed? Official registers by country
Every country keeps a public register of firms allowed to take investments, trade for you, lend money or hold deposits. If a company is not on the right register, it is not licensed — whatever its website says.
Run the licence checker
United States
FINRA BrokerCheck · SEC Investment Adviser Search · NFA BASIC (futures & forex) · CFTC RED List · NMLS Consumer Access · State insurance department (NAIC)
United Kingdom
FCA Financial Services Register · FCA Warning List · Companies House
Nigeria
SEC Nigeria — registered capital market operators · FCCPC — digital lending register · Central Bank of Nigeria — licensed institutions · NAICOM · CAC company search
India
SEBI registered intermediaries · RBI — regulated entities and lending apps · RBI Sachet · IRDAI
Kenya
Capital Markets Authority licensees · Central Bank of Kenya — digital credit providers
Ghana
SEC Ghana licensed operators · Bank of Ghana
South Africa
FSCA FSP search · National Credit Regulator
Australia
ASIC Connect professional registers · Moneysmart investor alert list
Canada
CSA National Registration Search · CIRO
European Union
ESMA registers · CySEC regulated entities · BaFin company database
United Arab Emirates
DFSA public register · SCA
Singapore
MAS Financial Institutions Directory · MAS Investor Alert List
Worldwide
IOSCO I-SCAN
What licence claims really mean
- ✓A major regulator (FCA, SEC/FINRA, ASIC, BaFin, MAS, CySEC, SEC Nigeria, SEBI…)
Strong protection — but only if the exact company name and website match the official register. Clone firms copy real licence numbers.
- !An offshore authority (Seychelles FSA, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Vanuatu, Marshall Islands, Comoros/Mwali, Anjouan, Belize, Labuan)
Little or no protection. The St Vincent FSA says it does not regulate forex at all. Offshore licences are popular with brokers that block withdrawals.
- !"Registered with FinCEN as an MSB" or "registered money service business"
An MSB registration is a simple filing for anti-money-laundering purposes. It is not a licence to offer investments or trading, and nobody checks the business.
- !"Registered company" (Companies House, CAC, state incorporation)
Anyone can register a company for a small fee. Registration says nothing about being allowed to take your money or give investment advice.
- !No licence mentioned, or "we don't need one"
Any business taking deposits, managing investments or lending money needs a licence where its customers live.
- !A regulator I can't find online
Fake regulators with official-sounding names and websites are common in investment scams.