Where is WEST BULL located?-WEST BULL

AI risk analysis - SM-INVEST (2025-04-29 17:35:23)

Below is a comprehensive analysis of Scope Markets Ltd. based on the requested criteria, using available information and critical evaluation. The official website provided is https://www.scopemarkets1.asia/en. Note that some aspects, such as real-time WHOIS lookup, IP analysis, or specific website security tools, require dynamic access to external databases or tools, which I cannot perform directly. However, I will provide insights based on available data, web content, and general practices for such analyses, supplemented by the provided search results where relevant.

1. Online Complaint Information ¶

Online complaints provide insight into user experiences and potential operational issues. Based on the provided search results and general web sentiment:

Complaints Overview:
Forex Peace Army (FPA): Reviews on FPA show mixed experiences. Some users report positive experiences, such as fast deposits and withdrawals via crypto, with no issues. Others describe severe issues, including reversed profitable trades, forced communication with account managers, and account disabling if users bypass managers. One user in 2021 complained about poor customer service in Kenya, specifically mentioning an admin named Rufas Kamau who allegedly blocked users on Telegram for raising concerns. Complaints also highlight unstable servers, wide spreads during trades, and volatile stop-loss execution during news events.
WikiFX: Reports a high number of complaints (20 in three months as of 2021), reducing the broker’s WikiFX score. Specific complaints include inducement to deposit large sums (e.g., $37,000 and $110,000) with promises of profits, followed by account losses and pressure to deposit more for “insurance” or recovery. Another user reported a scam involving a technical expert named Thanh Ha, leading to a loss of 188,000,000 VND (~$7,500 USD).
Trustpilot: Scope Markets has a 4-star rating based on 25 reviews, but specific complaint details are not provided in the search results. This suggests a moderate level of user satisfaction but lacks granular insight.
Red Flags from Complaints:
Allegations of trade manipulation (reversing profitable trades).
Aggressive sales tactics and pressure to deposit more funds.
Poor customer service, including blocking users on social platforms.
Unstable trading platforms (MT5) and server issues affecting trade execution.
Lack of transparency in account management and communication restrictions.
Positive Notes:
Some users report fast and secure transactions, particularly with cryptocurrency.
Positive experiences with trading conditions for certain users. Risk Assessment: The volume and severity of complaints, particularly around trade manipulation and financial losses, indicate a high risk for users. The mixed reviews suggest inconsistent experiences, with negative feedback outweighing positive in terms of impact.

2. Risk Level Assessment ¶

A risk level assessment considers the broker’s operational practices, user feedback, and market positioning:

Trading Risks:
Scope Markets explicitly warns that forex and leveraged product trading carries significant risk, with potential losses exceeding initial investments. This is standard for forex brokers but underscores the need for user caution.
High leverage (up to 1:2000 for offshore entities) amplifies both profits and losses, posing a substantial risk for inexperienced traders.
Complaints about stop-loss jumps and volatile spreads during news events suggest potential execution risks.
Operational Risks:
Complaints about forced account manager communication and account disabling indicate restrictive operational practices.
Allegations of inducement and pressure to deposit more funds suggest unethical sales practices.
Mixed server stability reports raise concerns about platform reliability.
Financial Risks:
Negative balance protection is offered, limiting losses to account balances, which is a positive feature.
However, complaints about large-scale losses ($37,000–$110,000) and inability to recover funds highlight significant financial exposure. Risk Level: High. The combination of high leverage, complaint severity, and operational concerns (e.g., trade manipulation, aggressive sales) suggests elevated risk. Negative balance protection and some positive user experiences mitigate this slightly, but caution is warranted.

3. Website Security Tools ¶

Website security is critical for protecting user data and funds. Based on content analysis and industry standards:

SSL Encryption:
Scope Markets uses SSL encryption to secure communication between user devices and servers, a standard practice for financial platforms.
The website (https://www.scopemarkets1.asia/en) uses HTTPS, indicating an SSL certificate is in place.
Privacy Policy and Cookies:
The website employs cookies to enhance user experience, with user consent required as per the Privacy Policy. This aligns with data protection regulations like GDPR.
Additional Security Measures:
No specific mention of two-factor authentication (2FA), firewalls, or advanced cybersecurity tools on the website. Industry-standard brokers typically highlight such features, so their absence in documentation is a potential gap.
Negative balance protection is a financial security measure, ensuring users don’t owe more than their account balance.
Potential Weaknesses:
Complaints about platform instability (MT5) suggest potential backend security or infrastructure issues.
Lack of transparency about cybersecurity protocols (e.g., penetration testing, DDoS protection) is a concern. Security Assessment: Moderate. SSL encryption and negative balance protection are positive, but the lack of detailed cybersecurity disclosures and platform stability complaints raise concerns. Users should verify the SSL certificate’s validity and inquire about 2FA or other protections.

4. WHOIS Lookup ¶

A WHOIS lookup provides information about domain ownership, registration, and history. Since I cannot perform a live WHOIS lookup, I’ll outline what such an analysis would involve and infer from available data:

Domain Details:
Domain: https://www.scopemarkets1.asia
Registrar: Likely a standard registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap), but specific details are unavailable without a live lookup.
Registration Date: The Scope Markets group was founded in 2014, suggesting the domain was registered around or after this period.
Registrant: Likely Scope Markets Ltd. or a parent entity (e.g., Rostro Group). The Belize entity’s registered address is 6160, Park Avenue, Buttonwood Bay, Belize City, Belize.
Red Flags to Check:
Domain Age: A domain registered recently (e.g., <1 year) could indicate a new or potentially fraudulent entity. Given Scope Markets’ 2014 founding, the domain is likely older, reducing this risk.
Privacy Protection: Many legitimate companies use WHOIS privacy services to hide registrant details. However, complete anonymity could be a red flag if paired with other issues.
Inconsistent Ownership: If the domain is registered to an unrelated entity or individual, it could indicate brand confusion or fraud.
Inferred Analysis:
The domain scopemarkets1.asia is associated with RS Global Ltd., regulated by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Belize, aligning with the company’s branding.
No evidence suggests the domain is fraudulent, but the “1” in “scopemarkets1.asia” could cause confusion with other Scope Markets domains (e.g., scopemarkets.com, scopemarkets.eu). WHOIS Risk: Low to Moderate. The domain appears legitimate and tied to Scope Markets’ Belize entity. However, users should perform a WHOIS lookup to confirm registrant details and check for privacy protection or inconsistencies.

5. IP and Hosting Analysis ¶

IP and hosting analysis evaluates the server infrastructure supporting the website. Without real-time access to IP lookup tools, I’ll provide a general analysis based on industry practices and available data:

Hosting Provider:
Financial brokers typically use reputable hosting providers (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, Cloudflare) for scalability and security. Scope Markets’ website likely uses a similar provider, given its global reach and platform offerings (MT4, MT5, Scope Trader).
No specific hosting details are provided in the search results.
IP Location:
The IP address’s geographic location should align with the company’s operational hubs (e.g., Belize, Cyprus, UK). Mismatches (e.g., hosting in a high-risk jurisdiction) could be a red flag.
Scope Markets’ Belize entity suggests possible hosting in or near Belize, but global CDNs (e.g., Cloudflare) may distribute servers worldwide.
Server Stability:
Complaints about unstable servers and poor MT5 performance suggest potential hosting or infrastructure issues.
Slow execution speeds or downtime could indicate underpowered servers or inadequate hosting.
Security Considerations:
Reputable hosts offer DDoS protection, load balancing, and redundancy. Scope Markets’ use of SSL suggests some security focus, but server instability complaints raise concerns about hosting quality. Hosting Risk: Moderate to High. Server instability complaints and lack of transparent hosting details are concerning. Users should check the website’s IP via tools like Pingdom or WHOIS.domaintools.com to verify the hosting provider and location.

Social media analysis evaluates Scope Markets’ engagement, reputation, and potential red flags:

Presence:
LinkedIn: Scope Markets has a LinkedIn page with 5,840 followers, describing itself as part of the Rostro Group, founded in 2014, and licensed in six jurisdictions. The page promotes its global reach and platforms (MT4, MT5, etc.).
Telegram (Kenya): A 2021 complaint mentions a Scope Markets Kenya Telegram channel run by an admin named Rufas Kamau, who allegedly blocked users for raising issues. This suggests poor social media management and potential suppression of criticism.
Other Platforms: No specific mentions of Twitter/X, Facebook, or Instagram in the search results, but brokers typically maintain such accounts. Scope Markets likely has a presence on these platforms, given its global customer base.
Red Flags:
Blocking users on Telegram for raising concerns is a significant red flag, indicating lack of transparency and poor customer engagement.
Limited visibility of social media activity in the search results suggests either low engagement or selective promotion.
Positive Notes:
The LinkedIn page provides professional branding and aligns with the company’s regulatory claims.
CEO Pavel Spirin’s involvement in public communications (e.g., introducing Scope Markets) adds credibility. Social Media Risk: Moderate. The Telegram incident is a major concern, but the LinkedIn presence is professional. Users should monitor Scope Markets’ social media for responsiveness and transparency, avoiding platforms with reported censorship.

7. Red Flags and Potential Risk Indicators ¶

Key red flags and risk indicators based on the analysis:

Complaint Volume and Severity:
High number of complaints on WikiFX (20 in three months) and serious allegations (trade manipulation, large losses) indicate operational risks.
Negative reviews on FPA about reversed trades and forced account manager communication suggest unethical practices.
Regulatory Concerns:
Suspected clone licenses for Belize FSC (IFSC/60/373/TS/19) and Cyprus CySEC (339/17), as reported by WikiFX, raise doubts about regulatory legitimacy.
Offshore regulation (Belize FSC) is less stringent than Tier-1 regulators (e.g., FCA, ASIC), increasing risk.
Platform and Server Issues:
Complaints about unstable servers, wide spreads, and MT5 issues suggest technical unreliability.
Aggressive Sales Tactics:
Reports of inducement to deposit large sums with promises of profits, followed by losses, indicate predatory behavior.
Social Media Censorship:
Blocking users on Telegram for raising concerns is a transparency red flag.
Brand Confusion:
Multiple domains (scopemarkets1.asia, scopemarkets.com, sminvest.com) and entities (RS Global Ltd., SM Capital Markets Ltd.) could confuse users and increase the risk of interacting with unregulated clones. Overall Red Flags: Significant. The combination of regulatory doubts, complaint severity, technical issues, and transparency concerns warrants caution.

8. Website Content Analysis ¶

Analyzing the content of https://www.scopemarkets1.asia/en provides insight into transparency, professionalism, and user focus:

Content Overview:
The website promotes trading across eight asset classes (currencies, indices, shares, commodities, spot metals, bonds, ETFs) on platforms like MT4, MT5, and Scope Trader.
It highlights competitive spreads (from 0.9 pips), zero commission trading, and leverage up to 1:2000.
A clear risk disclaimer warns of significant losses in forex and leveraged trading, advising users to seek independent advice.
The FAQ section addresses trading, accounts, and platform features, enhancing user education.
The website is user-friendly, with intuitive navigation and mobile app support (Scope Trader).
Transparency:
The website discloses the Belize entity (RS Global Ltd., FSC-regulated, registration number 000274/2) and its address (6160, Park Avenue, Buttonwood Bay, Belize City).
Regulatory licenses for other entities (e.g., CySEC, FSCA, CMA Kenya) are mentioned but not detailed on the scopemarkets1.asia site, requiring users to cross-check.
No mention of suspected clone licenses or complaint volumes, which reduces transparency.
Professionalism:
The website uses professional branding, aligning with the Rostro Group’s global presence.
Educational tools (pip, margin, swap, profit calculators) and market updates suggest a focus on trader support.
Red Flags:
The “1” in scopemarkets1.asia could confuse users, as it differs from scopemarkets.com or other domains.
Limited disclosure about complaint resolution or cybersecurity measures. Content Risk: Moderate. The website is professional and informative but lacks full transparency about regulatory concerns and complaint handling. The risk disclaimer is a positive feature, but users should verify entity-specific details.

9. Regulatory Status ¶

Regulatory oversight is a critical factor in assessing a broker’s legitimacy and safety:

Claimed Licenses:
RS Global Ltd. (Belize): Authorized by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) under license numbers 000274/325 and 000274/324.
SM Capital Markets Ltd. (Cyprus): Regulated by CySEC (license 339/17).
Scope Markets SA (PTY) Ltd. (South Africa): Regulated by FSCA (license FSP47025, ODP65).
SCFM Ltd. (Kenya): Regulated by CMA (license 123, 143).
Scope Markets Global Ltd. (Seychelles): Regulated by FSA (license SD079).
Scope Capital Markets Ltd. (Mauritius): Regulated by FSC (license GB19024853).
Regulatory Concerns:
WikiFX Warnings: The Belize FSC license (IFSC/60/373/TS/19) and CySEC license (339/17) are suspected to be clones, suggesting potential misrepresentation. The Belize FSC license (000274/58) and South Africa FSCA license (47025) are also flagged for exceeding regulated business scope.
Offshore Regulation: Belize and Seychelles are offshore jurisdictions with less stringent oversight compared to Tier-1 regulators (e.g., FCA, ASIC). This increases risk for users seeking robust protection.
Clone Risks: Suspected clone licenses could indicate fraudulent entities mimicking Scope Markets’ branding, a common scam tactic.
Safety Score:
Traders Union assigns Scope Markets a safety score of 7/10 (Medium), noting its Belize regulation is less robust than Tier-1 oversight.
CySEC regulation (if legitimate) offers stronger protection for EU clients, but the clone warning undermines confidence. Regulatory Risk: High. Suspected clone licenses, offshore regulation, and scope exceedance warnings significantly elevate risk. Users must verify licenses directly with regulators (e.g., FSC Belize, CySEC) and prioritize entities with Tier-1 oversight (e.g., CySEC, if valid).

10. User Precautions ¶

To mitigate risks when engaging with Scope Markets, users should:

Verify Licenses:
Cross-check license numbers with regulators (e.g., FSC Belize, CySEC, FSCA) to confirm legitimacy and avoid clone entities.
Prioritize trading with the CySEC-regulated entity (SM Capital Markets Ltd.) for stronger oversight, if available.
Start with a Demo Account:
Use Scope Markets’ demo account to test the platform, spreads, and execution without financial risk.
Limit Deposits:
Start with the minimum deposit ($50) and avoid large deposits until trust is established.
Be cautious of pressure to deposit more, as reported in complaints.
Monitor Trading Conditions:
Test spreads, execution speeds, and stop-loss behavior, especially during volatile market conditions (e.g., news events).
Report any trade manipulation or platform issues immediately.
Secure Accounts:
Ensure the website uses a valid SSL certificate (check for HTTPS and a padlock icon).
Enable 2FA if available and use strong, unique passwords.
Avoid sharing sensitive information with account managers unless verified.
Research Complaints:
Review platforms like Forex Peace Army, WikiFX, and Trustpilot for recent user experiences.
Be wary of brokers blocking users on social media for raising concerns.
Seek Independent Advice:
Consult a financial advisor before trading, as recommended by Scope Markets’ risk disclaimer.
Avoid Offshore Entities:
Prefer entities regulated by Tier-1 authorities (e.g., CySEC) over offshore ones (Belize, Seychelles) for better protection. Precaution Level: High. Users must exercise significant caution due to regulatory concerns, complaint severity, and operational red flags.

11. Potential Brand Confusion ¶

Brand confusion can lead users to interact with fraudulent or unregulated entities:

Multiple Domains:
Scope Markets operates under multiple domains, including scopemarkets1.asia, scopemarkets.com, scopemarkets.eu, and sminvest.com.
The “1” in scopemarkets1.asia could confuse users, as it differs from the primary scopemarkets.com domain. This may be a regional branding choice but increases the risk of mistaking it for a clone site.
Multiple Entities:
The Rostro Group owns Scope Markets and operates entities like RS Global Ltd. (Belize), SM Capital Markets Ltd. (Cyprus), and others.
Different entities have different regulations, which may confuse users about which entity they’re trading with (e.g., Belize vs. CySEC).
Clone License Risks:
Suspected clone licenses (Belize FSC, CySEC) suggest fraudulent entities may mimic Scope Markets’ branding, leading to scams.
Users may inadvertently engage with unregulated clones posing as Scope Markets.
Similar Names:
The name “Scope Markets” is similar to other brokers or financial entities, increasing the risk of confusion. For example, “Market Scope” (an ophthalmic market research firm) is unrelated but could cause mix-ups in casual searches.
Other brokers with “Scope” or “Markets” in their names could also create confusion. Brand Confusion Risk: Moderate to High. Multiple domains, entities, and suspected clone licenses create significant potential for confusion. Users must verify the exact domain (scopemarkets1.asia) and entity (e.g., RS Global Ltd.) before trading.

12. Overall Risk Assessment and Recommendations ¶

Overall Risk Level: High

Key Risks:
High volume and severity of complaints (trade manipulation, large losses, aggressive sales).
Suspected clone licenses and offshore regulation (Belize, Seychelles) undermine trust.
Platform instability and server issues affect trading reliability.
Social media censorship (Telegram) indicates poor transparency.
Brand confusion from multiple domains and entities increases scam risks.
Mitigating Factors:
SSL encryption and negative balance protection enhance security.
Professional website and LinkedIn presence add credibility.
Some positive user experiences with fast transactions.
CySEC regulation (if legitimate) offers stronger oversight for EU clients.
Recommendations:
Avoid Unless Verified: Only engage with Scope Markets after verifying the entity and license (e.g., CySEC or FSC Belize) directly with regulators. Prefer the CySEC-regulated entity for better protection.
Start Small: Use a demo account and minimal deposits ($50) to test the platform.
Monitor Closely: Watch for signs of trade manipulation, wide spreads, or pressure from account managers.
Research Alternatives: Consider brokers with Tier-1 regulation (e.g., FCA, ASIC) and fewer complaints for lower risk.
Stay Informed: Regularly check review platforms (FPA, WikiFX, Trustpilot) and social media for updated user experiences.
Final Note: Scope Markets offers competitive features (tight spreads, diverse assets, MT4/MT5), but the risks—regulatory doubts, severe complaints, and operational concerns—outweigh the benefits for most users. Exercise extreme caution and prioritize due diligence.

If you need further analysis (e.g., specific WHOIS or IP lookup, social media monitoring, or comparison with other brokers), please provide additional details or tools for real-time data access.