CVM alerts explained: how to tell if a firm may offer investments in Brazil
The Farol Markets team · 29 October 2026 · 4 min read · How we write
In short
- The CVM publishes alerts and stop orders about unauthorised offers.
- Search the firm's exact legal name, not just the brand.
- Authorisation abroad isn't authorisation in Brazil.
A site promises "professional trading with a Brazilian account manager", answers on WhatsApp in minutes and accepts Pix. None of that tells you whether the firm is allowed to offer investments to people in Brazil. The CVM (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários) publishes warnings about firms that aren't, and checking them takes less time than filling in a sign-up form.
What the CVM actually publishes
The CVM supervises the securities market in Brazil. Among other things, it keeps public records of the people and firms it has registered or authorised, and it publishes alerts (alertas) about entities that offer investment services to Brazilian residents without that registration. In more serious cases it issues stop orders (deliberações) telling an entity to stop offering a service, usually with a daily fine if it continues.
Over the years, many of these alerts have named foreign firms offering forex and CFD trading to Brazilian residents. An alert is not a verdict that a firm is a scam, but it is a clear signal that the offer is outside the Brazilian rules and that you would have little local protection if something went wrong.
A 4-step check before you sign up
| Step | What you do | What you are looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Write down the firm's exact legal name and website address | The company behind the brand, not just the logo |
| 2 | Search that name on the CVM website (gov.br/cvm) in the alerts and stop orders | Any alert or deliberação naming the firm or its domains |
| 3 | Look the firm up in the CVM public registers | Whether it is registered for the service it offers you |
| 4 | Save screenshots with the date | A record of what you saw, in case you need it later |
In Portugal, do the same on the CMVM website (cmvm.pt), which also publishes alerts and lists authorised entities. A firm authorised in another country is not automatically authorised to offer services in Brazil.
Signs that make the check urgent
- The site lists a regulator from a small offshore jurisdiction and nothing else.
- The "company" has several brand names and domains that change.
- Someone pushes you to deposit "today" or to install remote access software.
These patterns are covered in more detail in Pix and fake trading platforms: 6 scam patterns to recognise.
Checking is not the same as being protected
Even with an authorised firm, the risk of the trades themselves is yours. Before any live trade, size it from the stop with the lot size calculator and check what a pip is worth for your account with the pip value calculator. Also read what happens to client money in a failure: What happens to your money if a broker goes bust?
In short
Before any deposit: the exact legal name, the CVM alerts and stop orders, the CVM (or CMVM) registers and dated screenshots. Ten minutes of checking can save the whole account. This article is educational and is not a recommendation of any firm.
Questions people also ask
What is a CVM alert?
A public warning that an entity is offering investment services to residents in Brazil without the required registration.
Does an alert mean the firm is a scam?
Not necessarily, but it means the offer is outside Brazilian rules and you would have little local protection.
What should readers in Portugal check?
The CMVM website, which publishes alerts and lists the entities authorised to provide investment services.
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