Quick answer: use this route first
Search the company on the FSCA’s own register before you send any money. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority publishes an Entity and Persons Search on fsca.co.za that tells you whether a firm is an authorised Financial Services Provider. It also publishes warnings and alerts about specific entities, and a list of entities under statutory management. Those three pages answer the question faster than any amount of judging a website. The FSCA’s published telephone number is 0800 203 722. Verified 18 August 2026.
The three checks, in order
- Search the FSP register. Type fsca.co.za yourself and use the Entity and Persons Search for financial services providers. An unlisted firm offering investments is the end of the enquiry.
- Check the warnings and alerts. The FSCA publishes public warnings naming entities it is investigating or cautioning the public against. Search the company name there.
- Check the FSP number they gave you against the name. A common trick is quoting a genuine licence number belonging to a different, legitimate company. The register shows which name holds which number.
That third check matters more than the first two combined. Fraudulent operations rarely claim to be unlicensed; they borrow someone else’s licence. Matching the number to the name is what exposes it.
Warning signs in the offer itself
- Guaranteed returns. No legitimate investment guarantees a return, and a fixed high monthly percentage is the defining feature of these schemes.
- Pressure to commit before a deadline, or a closing window on a special rate.
- Recruitment rewards. Being paid to introduce others is a structural feature of a scheme rather than an investment.
- Payment to a personal bank account, or in cryptocurrency to a wallet address supplied over chat.
- Withdrawals that require a fee. Being asked to pay tax, clearance or release charges to access your own balance means the balance does not exist.
- Testimonials and screenshots as evidence, including from people you know, who may have been paid early to keep the scheme running.
Official reporting and verification channels
| Route | Detail | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| FSCA Entity and Persons Search | fsca.co.za | Confirming an authorised Financial Services Provider |
| FSCA warnings and alerts | fsca.co.za, latest news | Public warnings naming specific entities |
| Entities under statutory management | fsca.co.za | Firms placed under management |
| FSCA telephone | 0800 203 722 | General enquiries |
| Your bank | The number on the back of your card | Stopping or disputing a payment, first priority |
| SAPS | 10111, or any station | The criminal case and case number |
| SAFPS | 011 867 2234 | Protective Registration if ID documents were shared |
The FSCA regulates and supervises the market conduct of financial institutions in South Africa, and its mandate under section 57 of the Financial Sector Regulation Act includes protecting financial customers. It is a conduct regulator rather than a recovery service, so it does not retrieve money on your behalf.
Urgent steps if you have already invested
- Stop paying immediately, including any fee demanded to release a withdrawal. That fee is the next stage of the loss, not a route out of it.
- Phone your bank on the number on your card. A recall only works while funds remain in the receiving account.
- Open a SAPS case and keep the case number.
- Report the entity to the FSCA, which can act against unauthorised conduct and publish warnings protecting others.
- Do not engage recovery agents who approach you afterwards. Being contacted by someone promising to retrieve your money for a fee is a recognised follow-on fraud aimed at people already known to have lost money.
What information to prepare
- The company name, trading name and any FSP number quoted to you.
- The website address and social media accounts used to promote it.
- Bank account or wallet details you paid into, with amounts and dates.
- All correspondence, including the original offer and any contract or certificate issued.
- The names and numbers of the people who dealt with you.
What not to share
- One-time passwords or banking login details, to anyone managing an investment for you.
- Remote access to your device to set up a trading platform.
- Further payments to unlock a withdrawal, under any description.
- Copies of your ID to an entity you have not found on the FSCA register.
If the issue is not resolved
Where the firm is authorised but has treated you unfairly, raise a written complaint with the firm first and keep the reference, then approach the relevant ombud for financial services providers once that process is exhausted, confirming jurisdiction before lodging. Where the firm is not authorised, the matter is criminal rather than regulatory, so SAPS and your bank are the operative routes and the FSCA report serves to protect others. Lodge a written bank dispute quoting your SAPS case number, and escalate to the National Financial Ombud if the bank does not resolve it. No route guarantees recovery, and money sent in cryptocurrency is rarely recoverable at all.
Related contact pages
- Verify Financial Services Provider South Africa: how to use the FSCA register properly.
- Company Impersonation Scam South Africa: borrowed branding and licence numbers.
- Banking Scam Prevention South Africa: protecting the accounts used to pay.
- Check If Online Store Is Legit South Africa: the same verification habit applied to retailers.
- Report A Scam South Africa: the reporting sequence in full.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if an investment company is registered?
Use the FSCA’s Entity and Persons Search on fsca.co.za, typed in yourself, and search for financial services providers. Match the FSP number they quoted against the name on the register, and check the FSCA warnings and alerts for the company name.
They gave me a real FSP number. Is that enough?
No. Check which company holds that number. Quoting a genuine licence belonging to an unrelated legitimate firm is a standard tactic, and the register is where the mismatch becomes visible.
What information should I prepare?
The company and trading names, any FSP number, the website and social accounts, the bank or wallet details you paid into with amounts and dates, all correspondence and contracts, and the names and numbers of those who dealt with you.
What should I do if I cannot get help?
Lodge a written bank dispute with your SAPS case number and escalate to the National Financial Ombud if unresolved. Report the entity to the FSCA regardless of your own outcome, since that is what triggers public warnings. Ignore anyone offering to recover your money for an upfront fee.
Last verified 18 August 2026 against fsca.co.za, saps.gov.za and safps.org.za.