Breakaway broker — nearly got caught but pulled out just in time

Wanted to post this because I didn't lose much and maybe it'll help someone else catch it earlier than I did.

I signed up after seeing a YouTube ad promising "institutional-grade forex signals" and managed accounts. They had a polished website, live chat, the works. My account manager called within an hour of registering — very smooth, very professional.

I deposited $500 as a test. It actually worked — my first small withdrawal of $200 went through fine after a few days. So I felt comfortable putting in another $4,500.

As soon as the bigger amount cleared, everything changed. Withdrawal request sat for 3 weeks. Then they told me my account had been flagged for "strategy review" due to copy trading violations — I wasn't copy trading anything. When I pushed back, the calls stopped.

Pulled the rest out in a partial withdrawal (they let $1,100 through, I think to keep me on the hook) and then closed the account. Don't test these people with real money.