The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has flagged 21 websites operating without proper authorization to offer investment services, adding to a blacklist that now includes hundreds of suspected fraudulent platforms. Among them were potential clones of two popular and regulated brokers.

The regulator published a warning today (Tuesday) identifying domains that do not hold licenses required under Cypriot law to provide investment services or conduct investment activities.

CySEC Blacklist Grows Amid Scam Surge

CySEC maintains a running list of unauthorized domains that has expanded significantly over the past year. The commission added similar warnings in July 2025, and over the course of last year, it imposed financial penalties totaling nearly €3 million.

Several websites in the latest warning appear designed to mimic established trading brands. The domain avacaptal.com bears similarity to AvaTrade, a regulated multi-asset broker with licenses from European and Australian authorities.

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A potential clone may also be oneryolafx.co, which bears a strikingly similar name and domain to OneRoyal, a licensed broker that has been operating for more than 20 years.

“We constantly remind investors that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn't,” Dr. Giorgos Theocharidis, the head of Cyprus’s financial regulator, issued a reminder and warning last month.

Who’s on the List?

Among all 21 domains reported by CySEC were: fernrise.com, market-trading.ltd, xmarktrades.com, veldorna.pro, pravintol.com, kingsoptiontrade.com, fasat-g.pro, capitaliko.com, finconnect.fr, avacaptal.com, elitesignalmarket.com, iqforextrade.net, metaindextrade.net, premiumwave.online, viptradersclub.com, stockforexinvestment.com, oneroyalfx.co, capitalinvestmentcentre.com, tradeshipglobex.com, cfdoptions.com, quantoria-markets.net

Moreover, Quantoria-markets.net, included in CySEC's notice, has also been flagged by France's Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The platform advertises automated cryptocurrency trading with promises of high returns but operates without registration from recognized financial authorities.

Regulator Urges Verification Before Investing

CySEC told investors to check its website before conducting business with any investment firm to confirm whether the entity holds a valid license. The commission's public register lists all Cyprus Investment Firms authorized to provide investment services under Article 5 of Law 87(I)/2017.

The regulator has separately warned about fraudulent emails requesting payments for "trading certificates" or fund releases while falsely claiming to represent CySEC. The commission said it never requests or accepts payments from individual investors and does not authorize third parties to collect such fees.

The regulator had to pull its publicly available certification register from the internet because fraudsters were using information about licensed entities to impersonate authorized professionals and firms.