How to verify an investment firm

Start with the entity, not the logo

Copy the exact legal name, company number and jurisdiction from the offer. Search the regulator’s own register yourself. A name that looks similar, a screenshot of a licence, or a company-incorporation entry does not establish permission to provide an investment service.

In the EU/EEA, ESMA explains how to locate national registers and compare the entity, type and active status. In the UK, use the FCA Firm Checker. In the US, FINRA BrokerCheck provides background on brokers and firms.

Match the permission to the service

Read what the firm is permitted to do. A firm may be registered for one activity but lack permission for the product you were offered. If the record is expired, restricted, or absent, pause and contact the regulator before proceeding. A register search is a starting point, not a promise that the investment itself is suitable.

Test the contact channel

Do not call the number supplied in the unsolicited message. Use a number or website obtained directly from the regulator’s record and ask whether this offer, domain and representative are theirs. This matters because impostors can copy the name of a real firm; the SEC warns about impersonation of licensed professionals.

Record what you found

Use a four-column note: claim, independent source, match or mismatch, next question. For example: “The page says Firm A manages my portfolio; the register shows Firm A but lists a different contact website; I will call the published number before taking any other step.”