Many losses do not involve an anonymous scammer at all. They involve a firm with a licence — a forex or CFD broker, an investment platform — whose conduct departed from what a properly regulated firm is expected to do. These cases are won or lost on documentation: what the client was told, how the account was operated, and which rules the firm was bound by.
Measured against the rules that bind the firm
We investigate a broker’s conduct against the rules that apply to it: the law of the country where it is licensed, and the rules, licence conditions and guidance of its regulator. Each finding points to the specific rule the firm was bound by and the evidence showing how its conduct departed from it. Because the rules differ from one regulator to another, every case starts by establishing which ones applied to the firm at the time.
- How the client was onboarded, classified and warned about the risks
- Leverage, product and marketing restrictions set by the regulator
- Handling and segregation of client money
- Pricing, execution and the operation of the account
- Withdrawals, account closures and complaint handling
What we do
- Case assessment and a clear view of which regulatory or legal pathways are realistically available
- Reconstruction of the account history: onboarding, deposits, trades, pricing, withdrawals and correspondence
- Preparation of regulatory complaints and supporting documentation, and engagement with regulators and ombudsman services
- Support for chargeback and payment-dispute processes
- Escalation to qualified local counsel in the jurisdiction where the broker is licensed, when negotiation does not resolve the matter
Regulators we work with
We handle disputes involving firms regulated in Cyprus (CySEC), Canada (CIRO and the provincial securities regulators), South Africa (FSCA) and Australia (ASIC), and by offshore authorities including Mauritius (FSC), Belize (IFSC), the Seychelles (FSA) and Vanuatu (VFSC). Wherever a broker holds its licence, we know which channel a complaint has to go through.
How a matter runs
- We collect and review all case correspondence and account records.
- We prepare the documentation and the formal letter, which the client sends to the firm in their own name.
- If the response is inadequate, local counsel in the firm’s jurisdiction serves a legal notice and handles the negotiation that follows.
A recent case
A licensed dealer in Canada wired a client’s money abroad on forged instructions and refused to compensate him. With his written authority we took the complaint to the ombudsman, and the dealer paid the full amount plus interest. .
T&H does not represent clients in court or give legal advice. In specific situations, with the client’s written authority, we act for clients before authorities such as financial ombudsmen and regulators. We prepare the evidence and the documentation; formal legal action is taken by counsel. Outcomes depend on the firm, the regulator and the courts, and we do not promise them.