The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Securities Division has received information that FXBTG Financial LTD (FXBTG), an online financial services platform, may be engaged in fraud.
FXBTG purports to provide trading services. Although FXBTG is incorporated in Washington, it is not a licensed broker-dealer. Its website (www.fxbtg-bank.com) has been flagged by LinkedIn for phishing. Its registered agent’s address is a hotel in Seattle.
FXBTG has an international presence. Recently, the New Zealand High Court upheld a decision to de-register the firm. The Judge stated, “FXBTG technically engages in financial services within the meaning of the Act, but only in an entirely notional way. It has a single employee operating a computer in an apartment in Auckland, and on that basis, it has represented it is regulated under New Zealand securities law. That creates a misleading impression.”
DFI urges consumers to exercise extreme caution before responding to any solicitation offering investment or financial services. Investment professionals need to be licensed with DFI to offer investments to Washington residents. In addition, most investment products sold need to be registered with DFI. To check the licensing status and to find out if there are any complaints against an investment professional or investment product, please visit FINRA Brokercheck (https://brokercheck.finra.org) or contact the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division at (360) 902-8760. If you live outside of Washington State, contact your state securities regulator (https://www.nasaa.org/contact-your-regulator/).
If a consumer believes a person or company has violated state law or acted improperly regarding an investment product or service, they may file a formal complaint with the Securities Division (https://dfi.wa.gov/consumers/file-complaint/investor-complaint).
Additional Resources
Virtual Currency, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Assets Information for Consumers
What You Can Do to Avoid Investment Fraud