How to Spot an Unlicensed AI Trading Platform: A 5-Point Checklist
5 November 2026
Most promotional pages for AI trading platforms look the same: a slick website, a high accuracy claim and a short list of benefits. What they often leave out is the one thing that matters most — who is actually behind the platform and whether anyone regulates it.
This checklist is the same set of checks we run on every review. Work through it before you deposit, and you will catch most unlicensed operators before they catch you.
1. Can you name the operator?
A legitimate platform tells you the company that runs it, its registration number and where it is incorporated. If the page gives no company name, no team and no address, every claim on it rests on an operator you cannot identify — and cannot hold to account.
2. Is there a real regulator licence?
Look up the company on the regulator's public register. A licence number printed on a page means nothing until it appears on the official register under the same company name. Promotional articles frequently name 'regulated brokers' without naming a single one.
3. Where does the domain actually point?
Check the WHOIS record for the domain. A platform that is brand new, privately registered or hiding its owner behind a privacy service deserves extra caution. A long-running, publicly registered domain is not proof of legitimacy, but its absence is a warning sign.
4. Are the numbers sourced or just stated?
A claimed win rate or accuracy figure is only as good as the evidence behind it. If the article states a number without any method, test or source, treat it as marketing copy, not fact.
5. What happens when you ask questions?
Try contacting support before you sign up and ask for the company name and licence. A real operator answers plainly. A vague or evasive answer is itself an answer.
None of these checks guarantees a platform is safe, but together they filter out the most common warning signs. If any single check fails, we recommend not depositing until you can resolve it.