Tuesday 30 / September / 2025
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has launched a dedicated page on its official website and digital platforms under the title ‘Investor Protection Portal,’ in its commitment to raising awareness and protecting citizens, residents and investors.
The portal provides a reliable channel that enables citizens, residents and investors to access accurate information and updates on unlicensed entities engaged in securities-related activities. It also allows users to seamlessly submit reports in the event they encounter any entity operating in such activities without a licence.
The Authority clarified in a notice published across its platforms that the portal includes a link to the list of unlicensed entities, in addition to a link to the list of licensed companies available on its website under the title ‘Licensed & Accredited.’ This facilitates public access to the entities that can be safely dealt with, as they are licensed and subject to the supervision of the Financial Services Authority in the Sultanate of Oman. This provides investors and the public with a trusted reference to verify which entities are operating legally within the non-bank financial sector.
It affirmed that the launch of the portal comes in response to the growing need for tools and information that raise awareness and provide protection against potential risks posed by unlicensed platforms and companies, helping to prevent financial fraud, particularly those that exploit the internet and social media to promote their activities. In this context, the Authority stressed that awareness of sound investment practices and ensuring that dealings are limited to licensed and accredited entities represent the first line of defence against fraud and investor losses.
The portal offers three core services: reporting unlicensed entities engaged in illegal investment activities, accessing an updated list of unlicensed companies that should be avoided, and submitting reports on licensed entities to ensure effective monitoring and compliance.
In this regard, the FSA has issued a notice against dealing with unauthorised platforms or companies claiming to provide securities investment services online, via social media or other channels. This follows the monitoring of unauthorised entities impersonating licensed platforms and companies regulated by supervisory authorities, as well as the case of an external entity falsely claiming to be a financial regulatory body in the Gulf region under the name ‘Gulf Higher Authority for Financial Conduct.’
The Authority, in its notice, underscored the importance of ensuring the entities investors deal with are duly licensed to carry out securities-related activities by the supervisory authority, which is the Financial Services Authority in the Sultanate of Oman. It clarified that a commercial registration issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion does not constitute a licence to engage in such activity. The Authority further emphasised that awareness of sound investment principles is essential to protect market participants from the risks of loss and fraud.
