Investing term
What is Regulator check?
Looking up a broker or advisor on the national regulator's public register before sending money.
A regulator check is the simple, vital step of looking up a broker or advisor on the national regulator's public register before sending any money. Regulators maintain searchable databases of the firms and individuals they license, and a quick search confirms whether the firm is actually authorised — and flags any disciplinary history.
It matters because scam operations frequently impersonate real, licensed firms or claim fake authorisations to appear legitimate. A convincing website and professional branding prove nothing. Searching the official register directly — not a link the firm gives you — is a two-minute check that separates a supervised, accountable firm from a fraud. If a firm isn't on the register, or the details don't match, that's a decisive reason not to proceed.
Before sending money, search the regulator's official site for the firm. Listed means licensed; not found means walk away. A professional website proves nothing — the register does.
For example
Before funding an account, you search the regulator's official register and find the firm isn't listed — a clear sign to walk away, whatever its website claims.
Learn it by doing
That's Regulator check in theory — it clicks when you use it. Practise it hands-on in a free, interactive lesson (Stage 9, Fees, Scams & Protecting Your Money).
Try the free lesson →Why it matters to you
The regulator check matters because it's one of the cheapest, most effective protections available, yet it's routinely skipped. Since scams often clone or impersonate legitimate firms, a professional appearance is meaningless — only the official register confirms real authorisation. Making a habit of verifying any firm on the regulator's own site before sending money catches a large share of fraud before it can happen, at the cost of two minutes.
⚠ Verifying via a link the firm supplied
Scammers may send you a link to a fake 'register' or clone a legitimate firm's details, so checking through anything they provide proves nothing. Always navigate to the regulator's official website yourself and search there. And confirm the exact details — name, reference number, contact — match, since fraudsters often impersonate a real, licensed firm.