Research note

How to spot a forex broker clone site

August 19, 2026 · Peak Pips desk

Clone pages copy a real logo and a fake URL. Match the legal name and licence number on the official register, not the ad.

  • Education, not a signal
  • Check the register yourself
  • Leverage can wipe a deposit

A clone site looks like a firm you already searched. The difference is the URL, the payment page, and the entity on the contract. Logos are cheap to steal.

Checks that take two minutes

  1. Type the firm’s name into a search engine yourself. Do not click the first ad blindly.
  2. Compare the domain to the one on the regulator register or the firm’s own legal footer.
  3. Copy the company name from the account form and search it on the public register — see how to verify a broker.
  4. If chat sends you a “new” deposit wallet or a different company after you ask for the licence, stop.

Warning lists exist for a reason

Many regulators publish clone warnings. A similar name with a different country is not the same licence. Our licence note is blunt: a PDF from a mailbox island is not cover in your jurisdiction.

If a Peak Pips page looks stale, send a correction with a register link. We do not process your deposits.

This is editorial. It is not advice, a broker pitch, or a call to deposit. Confirm licences and costs on the firm’s own site.