Trusted Verification Resources

United States Regulators

Official United States sources for researching investment professionals, firms, filings, commodities and suspected fraud.

Securities, investment advice, brokerage, commodities, futures and consumer fraud may involve different federal and state authorities. Search the person, the firm and the precise activity being offered.

Current situation — July 2026

The regulatory treatment of cryptoassets in the United States continues to evolve across multiple federal agencies. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have each asserted jurisdiction over different categories of digital assets, and enforcement actions, court decisions and proposed legislation may affect which rules apply to a particular product or platform. State-level requirements add a further layer. Readers should verify current registration status and applicable requirements directly with the relevant federal and state authorities, as the landscape may change.

Official Sources

SEC Investor.gov — Ask and Check

Visit

https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/getting-started/researching-investments/ask-and-check

What it verifies:A guided route to IAPD, BrokerCheck, EDGAR, state regulators and commodity-registration resources.

Use it for:Choosing the appropriate official database before sending money or personal information.

Important limitation:A filing or registration does not mean the SEC has approved an investment or verified promotional claims.

Investment Adviser Public Disclosure

Visit

https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/

What it verifies:Registration status, Form ADV disclosures, fees, conflicts, disciplinary history and business practices for investment advisers.

Use it for:Checking an adviser firm or representative.

Important limitation:The presence of a filing does not confirm that every offered service is authorised.

FINRA BrokerCheck

Visit

https://brokercheck.finra.org/

What it verifies:Background, registration and disclosure information for brokerage firms and brokers.

Use it for:Checking a broker, brokerage firm or employment and disciplinary history.

Important limitation:BrokerCheck does not cover every financial professional or product.

SEC EDGAR

Visit

https://www.sec.gov/edgar/search/

What it verifies:Public company and securities filings, including registration statements, periodic reports and financial statements.

Use it for:Reviewing what an issuer has filed with the SEC.

Important limitation:Filing a form is not equivalent to SEC approval. Fraudsters may misrepresent Form D or other filings as licences.

CFTC — Check Registration and Backgrounds

Visit

https://www.cftc.gov/check

What it verifies:Guidance and access to NFA BASIC for registration, disciplinary history and financial information.

Use it for:Checking futures, commodity pools, forex, derivatives and related intermediaries.

Important limitation:A clean registration record does not eliminate fraud or market risk.

Federal Trade Commission — ReportFraud

Visit

https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

What it verifies:The federal consumer-fraud reporting route.

Use it for:Reporting deceptive investment promotions, impersonation, payment demands and other consumer fraud.

Important limitation:The FTC does not recover individual losses through every report.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center

Visit

https://www.ic3.gov/

What it verifies:Federal reporting for internet-enabled crime and cyber-fraud.

Use it for:Reporting online investment, account-takeover, extortion, phishing and cryptocurrency-enabled crime.

Important limitation:Preserve evidence and also contact the financial institution or exchange involved.

NASAA — Contact Your State Securities Regulator

Visit

https://www.nasaa.org/contact-your-regulator/

What it verifies:Contact information for state and provincial securities regulators.

Use it for:Checking state-registered advisers and reporting state-level securities concerns.

Important limitation:Requirements and remedies vary by state and activity.

A safer verification routine

1.Start from the regulator or government website—not a link supplied by the person or company being checked.
2.Search the exact legal name as well as any trading name. Compare the website, telephone number, address and registration number.
3.Confirm that the listed permissions cover the service actually being offered. Registration for one activity does not automatically cover another.
4.Check warning lists, disciplinary records and recent alerts. A clean result is useful information, but it is not proof that an offer is safe.
5.Keep screenshots, URLs, transaction hashes, emails and messages if you may need to make a report.

Registration is not an endorsement

Appearing in a register may confirm a legal filing, licence, authorisation or anti-money-laundering registration. It does not mean that United States authorities guarantee the product, approve its marketing claims, protect against market losses or promise that funds can be recovered.

External-link notice

External links are provided for independent verification and educational convenience. Fichtner Digital does not control third-party websites and does not endorse every statement, product or service they contain. Always confirm that the domain is official before entering personal information.

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Last reviewed: July 25, 2026. This page does not provide legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment advice and does not determine whether any product or service is appropriate for a particular person.

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Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. All materials are provided for general educational purposes. They do not constitute financial, legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. Fichtner Digital does not provide regulated financial services.