broker wants my id and a utility bill, is it safe to send these documents

[mellowday]

signed up and now the broker is asking for a passport scan and a proof of address before i can withdraw. as a beginner this feels uncomfortable, sending my identity documents to a company online. is this normal and safe, or a red flag i should worry about?

[Chris]

its completely normal, its called kyc and regulated brokers are legally required to verify your identity, you literally cannot use a properly regulated broker without it. the discomfort is reasonable though, so reduce the risk: upload through the brokers secure portal not over email, and if the broker isnt actually regulated, the fact that theyre collecting your documents is far scarier than if they are. the document request is normal, who youre sending them to is the real question.

[wildnorth]

exactly, kyc itself is a sign theyre operating like a real financial firm. the caution is about the channel and the recipient. use their official upload area inside your account, never send sensitive documents to a support email or a chat app, and confirm the broker is genuinely regulated before handing over anything. a scam collecting ids is the nightmare, a regulated broker doing kyc is just tuesday.

[cloudyvision]

the people who refuse kyc on principle then post angrily that their withdrawal is stuck. you cannot have a regulated broker and also no identity checks. pick one. the only valid worry is whether the broker is real, not whether kyc exists.

[justin_98]

to settle it: do the kyc, its mandatory and normal, but verify the broker is properly regulated first since thats the part that actually protects your documents. some traders also watermark their uploaded id with the date and purpose, for example 'for broker verification only', which is a small extra safeguard against the file being reused. then upload through the official portal and move on.