Clone Broker Alert: Darwinex, AIM & Spreadex Targeted

In the retail forex and CFD industry, regulatory licensing has become one of the primary indicators investors rely on when evaluating the legitimacy of an online broker. Increasingly, however, scam operations are adapting by impersonating licensed firms rather than operating under entirely fabricated identities.

Recent findings show that several trading websites have adopted the names and regulatory credentials of FCA-authorised institutions — despite having no formal connection with those entities. In practice, these so-called clone brokers often combine look-alike domains with copied corporate information to present themselves as regulated trading platforms.

Below are three examples where unauthorised websites appear to have mimicked the details of legitimate firms.

Darwinex Clone: darwinexitltd.com

One of the domains identified in recent warnings is:

darwinexitltd.com

This website presents itself as part of the Darwinex group and promotes trading services across multiple asset classes.

However, the genuine FCA-authorised firm associated with the Darwinex brand is:

TRADESLIDE TRADING TECH LTD

FCA Firm Reference Number: 586466

The regulated brokers official profile, including licensing status and operating history, can be independently verified here:

https://www.wikifx.com/en/dealer/0001204232.html

A structural review of the clone website reveals several key indicators of impersonation:

• The domain name includes the “darwinex” brand but differs from the official corporate website
• Multiple global office addresses are listed, spanning Canada, London, Dublin, Hong Kong and Dubai
• The site footer explicitly claims FCA supervision

The inclusion of regulatory language in the websites legal disclosure section may give the impression of authorisation, despite the domain itself not being associated with the licensed entity.

AIMarkets vs AIM Financial Services Limited

A more direct form of impersonation can be observed in the case of:

aimarkets.ltd

Unlike darwinexitltd.com — which attempts to establish credibility through the use of similar domain naming and regulatory references — the AIMarkets website goes a step further by directly displaying the official registration number and registered address of a legitimately authorised firm.

Specifically, the website prominently references:

AIM FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED

FCA Firm Reference Number: 1020358

In the footer section of the clone site, the operator explicitly states that the entity is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), while listing the genuine firms registered office address. This creates a strong impression that the trading services being offered are conducted under the supervision of a licensed UK investment firm.

However, according to publicly available FCA records, AIM FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED is primarily authorised to engage in activities such as:

• Insurance brokerage
• Financial management
• Business support services

These regulated business lines do not typically extend to the provision of retail forex or CFD trading services.

WikiFX has already listed this clone domain as a separate entity:

https://www.wikifx.com/en/dealer/6052489702.html

The direct reuse of regulatory registration details in connection with an unrelated trading website may represent a more explicit form of corporate identity misuse than domain-based imitation alone.

Spreadex FX vs Spreadex Limited

Another example involves the domain:

spreadexfx.com

which appears to promote trading services under the name “Spreadex FX”.

Similar to the impersonation approach observed in the darwinexitltd.com case, this clone website relies primarily on the use of a highly similar domain name in order to associate itself with an established, FCA-authorised broker.

The legitimate firm being referenced is:

Spreadex Limited

FCA Firm Reference Number: 190941

Information on the licensed broker can be viewed here:

https://www.wikifx.com/en/dealer/1031629983.html

According to data aggregated on WikiFX, Spreadex Limited maintains a relatively high overall rating, supported by its long operating history in the United Kingdom and the possession of a valid FCA Market Making licence. The broker has been in operation for more than two decades, with its regulatory status and business scope clearly documented across publicly verifiable records.

In contrast, the clone domain attempts to benefit from brand familiarity by introducing only minor variations in naming through the addition of “FX” within the domain structure, which may create confusion for investors attempting to verify licensing claims based solely on website presentation.

Emerging Pattern in Clone Broker Operations

Across all three cases, the impersonating websites share several operational characteristics:

• Domains closely resembling authorised firm names
• Claims of FCA regulation displayed on the site
• Corporate addresses matching those of licensed firms
• Marketing language consistent with institutional brokerage services

Rather than creating entirely fictitious entities, these platforms appear to rely on publicly available regulatory data to construct a credible-looking online identity.

Investor Considerations

While the firms referenced above are themselves licensed, the impersonating websites operate independently and remain outside regulatory supervision. The use of real corporate credentials in connection with unauthorised domains highlights the importance of verifying not only a brokers name, but also the legitimacy of the website through which services are offered.

Use WikiFX to Safeguard Your Trading Decisions

WikiFX is a global broker information platform that provides access to regulatory licence records, broker operating history, domain verification data, and user exposure reports across multiple jurisdictions.

By consolidating publicly available regulatory and operational information in one place, WikiFX allows traders to independently check whether an online trading platform is formally authorised before engaging with it — helping distinguish legitimate licensed brokers from unauthorised clone websites that misuse real company identities.