Fake Broker Scams via Skrill
How unregulated fake brokers use Skrill to funnel investor deposits into accounts the broker controls and victims can never withdraw from.
Part of: Fake Broker Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Fake broker scams set up convincing trading platforms with professional dashboards that show steadily growing account balances. When it is time to deposit, Skrill is offered as a 'convenient' funding method. The digital wallet transfer settles instantly and without the oversight of a regulated bank transaction, giving the fraudulent broker immediate access to the funds.
Victims see growing balances on the platform but discover they cannot withdraw when they try. A series of fees and taxes then drain any remaining real money the victim is willing to pay before the broker disappears.
How this scam works on Skrill
The scammer recruits investors through social media, messaging apps, or online adverts and directs them to a fake trading platform. Initial small deposits funded via Skrill show rapid gains, encouraging larger investments. The platform is designed to display whatever balance the scammer chooses.
When a withdrawal is attempted, the broker cites a minimum balance requirement, a tax clearance fee, or a compliance hold — each payable via another Skrill transfer. The fees escalate until the victim stops paying or has no funds left.
Because Skrill transactions are not routed through a regulated investment firm, there is no standard investor-protection mechanism to trigger a reversal.
Common red flags
- An online broker requests Skrill deposits to a personal or corporate wallet address
- Returns are unusually high and consistent — too good for any real market
- Withdrawal requests are blocked by new fees payable via Skrill
- The broker cannot be verified on any financial regulator's authorised firm list
- The trading platform domain was registered recently
- A personal account manager applies heavy pressure to increase deposit size
How to protect yourself
- Verify any broker through your national financial regulator before depositing
- Refuse to fund a trading account via Skrill to a non-regulated entity
- Contact Skrill fraud support immediately if deposits were already made
- Do not pay withdrawal fees — a regulated broker does not require fee payments to release your own funds
- Save all transaction records and platform screenshots as evidence
- Report the fake broker to your financial regulator and cybercrime authority
How to report it
- Report the fraudulent Skrill account to Skrill's fraud team
- Report to your national financial services regulator and cybercrime unit
- File a complaint with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or your country's equivalent
Frequently asked questions
Why do fake brokers accept Skrill instead of regulated bank transfers?
Skrill payments to digital wallets bypass the standard banking compliance checks that apply to investment-account funding. This gives the fraudulent broker faster access to funds and makes recovery harder because there is no regulated financial institution in the middle that could flag or reverse the transaction.