Investigation: what happens after you leave your number on an ad
In this article
In short: between 30 October and 6 November 2026, our contributors left test details in 484 forms on celebrity investment ads and noted what happened right afterwards. In 38% of cases the site thanked them and promised a call. In 29% it sent them straight to a broker’s website, often with an account already opened in their name, without going through that broker’s sign-up. In the remaining 33% the page showed an error, but the details had already been sent.
How we did it
Each contributor clicks on an ad, fills in the form with test details (a made-up name, and an email address and phone number we use only for this) and notes what appears on screen. If the site redirects them to another page, they save the address and a screenshot. We do not deposit any money or follow the “adviser’s” instructions.
| What happened after submitting the form | Sign-ups | % |
|---|---|---|
| “Thank you, an adviser will call you” page | 185 | 38% |
| Immediate redirect to a broker’s website | 140 | 29% |
| Error, blank page or loop | 159 | 33% |
| Total | 484 | 100% |
1. “Thank you, we’ll call you”
This is the most common outcome. The page confirms your registration and asks you to keep your phone handy. Some add a countdown or say that “places are limited”.
From there, the scam continues by phone. An “adviser” or “account manager” calls you, explains that a first deposit is needed, almost always around 250 euros, and later asks you to install a remote access app. We cover this in why almost all of them ask for 250 euros and in what to do if you installed AnyDesk.
2. Straight to a broker account that is already open
In 140 sign-ups the site took the contributor to a broker’s page at that very moment. We recorded 144 destination addresses. This is what we found on arrival:
| Broker’s first screen | Cases |
|---|---|
| Trading or account dashboard, already logged in | 34 |
| “Personal details” form: address, date of birth, ID number | 31 |
| Deposit page, with amounts and card | 21 |
| Broker’s home page | 41 |
| Login or sign-up page | 7 |
| Other pages | 10 |
In 86 of the 144 cases (60%), the contributor was already inside an account created with the details from the form. They had not gone through that broker’s sign-up page or accepted its terms. The screenshots show the test name and email in the profile, a zero balance and a big “Deposit” button.
This has two consequences:
- The broker already has your details, even if you have not deposited anything. That is why they call you.
- The name in the ad and the name of the broker do not match. You sign up on “Platform A” and end up on “Broker B”. The ad’s platform is only a front door.
Many of these brokers receive people from several different ads. Of the 55 we have identified, 27 received users from two or more platforms and 14 from more than one country. For example, ormindaclient.com received sign-ups from 6 different platforms, in Canada and Spain, and highmarkets.com and cifmarkets.pro from 5 each.
The “personal details” forms ask for what a bank asks for: address, date of birth and ID number. Some say it is to “comply with the rules” of a foreign regulator. That ID number can later be used to impersonate you.
In 19 redirects the destination was not an identifiable broker or was a real, regulated broker. This is another form of abuse: someone is paid for every user they send there. We do not name those companies because we have no evidence that they take part in the deception.
3. Error: the page fails, but your details have already gone
A third of the time the site showed an error, stayed blank or went into a loop. The site may have been down, it may have filtered by country, or the contributor may not have been the “right” visitor. We explain this in what cloaking is.
A page failing does not mean they have not received your details. The form usually sends them before showing the next screen.
What to do if you have already left your details
- Do not answer unknown numbers for a few days, or hang up if they talk to you about investments. You do not need to explain yourself.
- Do not install any app they ask for over the phone, least of all AnyDesk, TeamViewer or similar.
- Do not send a photo of your ID or fill in the broker’s “personal details” form.
- If you ended up in an account opened in your name, do not deposit. You can write to the broker asking them to close it and delete your data, but do not expect a reply.
- If you gave your ID number or paid, follow the victim guide and tell your bank.
- Be wary of anyone offering to recover your money. It is a very common second scam.
Limits of this investigation
- These are 484 sign-ups over one week, made by a few people from a few countries. This is not a representative sample of all scams.
- We recorded only the first screen. We did not follow the process through calls or deposits.
- We classified destination addresses automatically and checked the doubtful ones by hand. Some cases may be in the wrong category.