Pocket Option is not authorised by the FCA and appears on the CFTC RED List. Users should not interpret offshore company registration or private certificates as equivalent to statutory financial regulation.
What financial authorisation does
A financial licence can impose capital, conduct, disclosure and complaint-handling requirements. The exact protections depend on the jurisdiction and product.
Company incorporation only confirms that a legal entity was registered. It does not show that the entity may provide regulated investment services.
FCA position
The FCA warning says PocketOption is not authorised by it and may be targeting people in the UK. It advises consumers to avoid dealing with the firm.
The warning also explains that customers would not have the normal access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or Financial Services Compensation Scheme if things go wrong.
CFTC position
The CFTC RED List entry says Pocketoption appears to require registration but is not registered with the Commission. The entry identifies binary options as the offering type.
The CFTC clarifies that inclusion on the RED List is not itself a conclusion by the Commission or a court that a legal violation occurred.
How to verify a broker claim
Ask for the regulator's name, the exact licensed company name and the licence number. Search those details directly in the regulator's database and confirm that the approved permissions cover the product being offered.
Do not rely on screenshots, badges or links to private dispute-resolution organisations as substitutes for a government regulator's register.