As Pavel Durov has been charged for illegal activities on Telegram, I recalled FXStreet's engagement with the social media platform over financial scams.
Telegram quickly approached FXStreet against a report affecting their name but never replied to the flagging of our clone.
Pavel Durov at TechCrunch Disrupt Europe Berlin 2013; Source: Wikimedia Commons
Pavel Durov's recent arrest at a Paris airport sent shockwaves through the tech and trading communities. Durov, Telegram's founder and CEO, faces charges related to the criminal activities happening on its platform.
This is FXStreet's inside story with Telegram.
The Fate of Two Emails
On a Tuesday at noon, April 9 this year, FXStreet's contact desk received a routine email titled “Article Review – Potential Amends.” What was a usual reach-out from a company to amend or influence our coverage felt a little special because of its sender: a Telegram representative.
The email read as follows (translated from Spanish):
I am writing to request clarifications on an article.
We can't confirm that such a vulnerability exists. This video is likely a hoax. The people behind the video were unable to provide any information that could be used to reproduce this behavior.
On the other hand, it is not true that Pavel Durov is the owner of Toncoin. Toncoin is the cryptocurrency of TON (The Open Network), from the TON Foundation. The TON Foundation is completely independent of Telegram.
I would appreciate it if you could make the relevant clarifications.
Thank you for your time.
Greetings.
Our editorial team reviewed the request, made the appropriate amendments, and replied to the Telegram spokesperson. Before the end of the next day, the ticket was closed.
In the corrected article, a note was left indicating the changes: “This story was corrected on April 10 at 00:48 GMT to remove a reference which described Pavel Durov as the owner of Toncoin.”
Two months prior, on February 23, an internal email titled “Scam prevention campaign in Telegram” circulated among the FXStreet team. In it, our Social Media manager called for action against FXStreet clones and impersonators on the platform.
In the next few months, FXStreet employees reported several channels and accounts to Telegram for their takedowns. Some used the FXStreet brand without permission and peddled signal services “with up to 93% accuracy” and investment plans that turn $1,000 into $5,000 in just three days. Others impersonated FXStreet experts' identities and offered to copy-trade their successful strategies.
After six months, and despite all the team's efforts, these scams and new ones remain active on Telegram. No Telegram representative has reached back.
Telegram's Wild West
Telegram's significance in the trading community cannot be overstated. With its large-scale channels and bot integrations, it has become a go-to platform for traders seeking real-time information and community engagement. Our verified channel, “FXStreet Forex News,” delivers timely news to almost 100,000 traders daily in the messaging app.
This popularity—and the lack of moderation and policing—has made the platform a breeding ground for scams. A joint survey by Finance Magnates and FXStreet found that 60.09% of traders who fell victim to scams on Telegram lost funds, making it the platform with the highest “success rate” for scammers.
Scam victims on social media who lost funds; Source: A Joint survey by Finance Magnates and FXStreet
Our unsuccessful efforts to prevent scammers from thriving on the platform highlight Telegram's lack of care in protecting its users.
Freedom of Harm
For several days, pundits have been discussing the “true motives” behind Durov’s arrest and accusations—be it geopolitical plays, attacks on privacy and free speech, or national security concerns.
No expert, though, even the most staunch Telegram defender, is arguing that the underlying accusations are untrue.
I love Telegram and all the positive innovations it has brought—from large-scale groups to embracing cryptocurrency—but I refuse to accept the problems it breeds as inevitable.
Telegram reached out to FXStreet to fight back against a “likely hoax” affecting its name. Why wouldn’t it also react to proven frauds happening on its platform?
Back in March, I argued here on Finance Magnates that Telegram was an ideal playground for scammers, and added: “Telegram should take action or take responsibility for what happens on its platform.”
I hope Durov regains his freedom of movement soon. At the same time, I hope Telegram takes responsibility and does its best to free users from harm and scams.
Pavel Durov's recent arrest at a Paris airport sent shockwaves through the tech and trading communities. Durov, Telegram's founder and CEO, faces charges related to the criminal activities happening on its platform.
This is FXStreet's inside story with Telegram.
The Fate of Two Emails
On a Tuesday at noon, April 9 this year, FXStreet's contact desk received a routine email titled “Article Review – Potential Amends.” What was a usual reach-out from a company to amend or influence our coverage felt a little special because of its sender: a Telegram representative.
The email read as follows (translated from Spanish):
I am writing to request clarifications on an article.
We can't confirm that such a vulnerability exists. This video is likely a hoax. The people behind the video were unable to provide any information that could be used to reproduce this behavior.
On the other hand, it is not true that Pavel Durov is the owner of Toncoin. Toncoin is the cryptocurrency of TON (The Open Network), from the TON Foundation. The TON Foundation is completely independent of Telegram.
I would appreciate it if you could make the relevant clarifications.
Thank you for your time.
Greetings.
Our editorial team reviewed the request, made the appropriate amendments, and replied to the Telegram spokesperson. Before the end of the next day, the ticket was closed.
In the corrected article, a note was left indicating the changes: “This story was corrected on April 10 at 00:48 GMT to remove a reference which described Pavel Durov as the owner of Toncoin.”
Two months prior, on February 23, an internal email titled “Scam prevention campaign in Telegram” circulated among the FXStreet team. In it, our Social Media manager called for action against FXStreet clones and impersonators on the platform.
In the next few months, FXStreet employees reported several channels and accounts to Telegram for their takedowns. Some used the FXStreet brand without permission and peddled signal services “with up to 93% accuracy” and investment plans that turn $1,000 into $5,000 in just three days. Others impersonated FXStreet experts' identities and offered to copy-trade their successful strategies.
After six months, and despite all the team's efforts, these scams and new ones remain active on Telegram. No Telegram representative has reached back.
Telegram's Wild West
Telegram's significance in the trading community cannot be overstated. With its large-scale channels and bot integrations, it has become a go-to platform for traders seeking real-time information and community engagement. Our verified channel, “FXStreet Forex News,” delivers timely news to almost 100,000 traders daily in the messaging app.
This popularity—and the lack of moderation and policing—has made the platform a breeding ground for scams. A joint survey by Finance Magnates and FXStreet found that 60.09% of traders who fell victim to scams on Telegram lost funds, making it the platform with the highest “success rate” for scammers.
Scam victims on social media who lost funds; Source: A Joint survey by Finance Magnates and FXStreet
Our unsuccessful efforts to prevent scammers from thriving on the platform highlight Telegram's lack of care in protecting its users.
Freedom of Harm
For several days, pundits have been discussing the “true motives” behind Durov’s arrest and accusations—be it geopolitical plays, attacks on privacy and free speech, or national security concerns.
No expert, though, even the most staunch Telegram defender, is arguing that the underlying accusations are untrue.
I love Telegram and all the positive innovations it has brought—from large-scale groups to embracing cryptocurrency—but I refuse to accept the problems it breeds as inevitable.
Telegram reached out to FXStreet to fight back against a “likely hoax” affecting its name. Why wouldn’t it also react to proven frauds happening on its platform?
Back in March, I argued here on Finance Magnates that Telegram was an ideal playground for scammers, and added: “Telegram should take action or take responsibility for what happens on its platform.”
I hope Durov regains his freedom of movement soon. At the same time, I hope Telegram takes responsibility and does its best to free users from harm and scams.
Pere is the co-CEO of FXStreet, where he oversees the editorial, analytical and marketing areas. With over a decade of experience in the financial services sector, he is committed to empowering independent traders with the insights and tools they need to confidently navigate the financial markets.
A graduate in Advertising and Public Relations from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Pere combines his expertise in communication with a passion for understanding how financial markets tick.
Outside work, he enjoys outdoor activities with his family in the beautiful Catalan landscapes.
From “Unrealistically Good” To “Cesspool Of Gamesmanship”: How 40 Minutes Changed Minds On Prop Trading
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
