Call Now For a Free Consultation:
(614) 532-4576
Nationwide Representation

FINRA Investor Alert: All-or-Nothing Binary Options Frequently Fraudulent

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the self-regulatory organization that oversees brokerages firms, issued an Investor Alert last week warning investors about the significant risks posed by trading binary options.

A binary option is a type of option in which the payoff can take only two possible outcomes, either some fixed monetary amount (or a precise predefined quantity or units of some asset) or nothing at all. Because of this “all-or-nothing” situation, a binary option can expire with an investor either making the pre-determined amount of money or nothing at all. In addition, FINRA cautions investors that trading binary options is even riskier given the prevalence of fraudulent schemes often originating from foreign countries.

The Investor Alert suggests that prior to investing in a binary option, investors take precautions in order to limit the risk of fraud. These actions include checking the broker through a FINRA BrokerCheck® to view background information on a financial institution, investment adviser, or broker-dealer. This allows you to check for any history of customer complaints and regulatory actions against the broker and their firm.

Another resource is the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) website, which can be used to determine if the binary options trading platform is one of only three designated contract markets.

Additionally, the EDGAR system offered by the SEC can be used to see if the trading platform has registered the sale and offer of the product with the SEC.

FINRA states that if you are unable to find the necessary information to verify the validity of the binary option trading platform, the broker, the product, or the financial institution, you should not invest your money or provide personal information.

If you have invested in a binary option and lost your entire investment, you may have a case for securities fraud or other misconduct. Call Meyer Wilson today for your free case evaluation.

The information contained in The Firm’s posts on its blog, fraud alerts, investigations or elsewhere on the site is based upon information obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, news outlets and federal, state, and regulatory agency filings. All suspects and subjects of postings herein are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law or administrative action and any and all crimes are alleged until a court or regulatory agency finds otherwise .

Share This Story
If you found the information provided by this article useful, consider sharing to your social media channels to help others in their search for reliable resources.
Consult with Our Legal Team
There is never a cost associated with a consultation
Atlanta Office

945 East Paces Ferry Road, Suite 2275
Atlanta, GA 30326
Columbus Office

614-224-6000
305 W. Nationwide Blvd
Columbus, OH 43215
Meyer Wilson
New Orleans Office

900 Camp Street 
Suite 337
New Orleans, LA 70130
Los Angeles Office

310-905-8688
2029 Century Park East,
Suite 400N
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Cleveland Office

216-600-1355
4781 Richmond Rd.
Suite 400
Warrensville Heights, OH 44128
Bloomfield Hills Office

248-817-8214
41000 Woodward Ave.,
Suite 350
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
Quick Links
The information contained in this Website is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. No recipients of content from this site, clients or otherwise, should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in the site without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from an attorney licensed in the recipient's state. Read More
The information contained in this Website is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.
Read More
chevron-down linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram