Consumer protection
Before you buy gold
Verify the offer, the seller and the metal. A professional-looking website or accreditation image alone is not evidence.
Council educational summary · Source reviewed November 12, 2026
Stop before sending money
Guaranteed profits, urgent deadlines, unsolicited requests for personal information and claims that everyone else is investing are warning signs. Gold prices can fall; no credential guarantees returns.
Get a complete written quote
Ask for the total price, metal weight and purity, premium over spot, fees and the price the seller would pay to buy it back. Compare like-for-like products and question pressure to buy collectibles.
Verify custody and financing
Ask where the metal is stored, who holds legal title and what insurance and independent evidence exist. Leveraged purchases can require more money if prices move against you. Do not accept storage or loan claims without documentation.
Check the person and the credential
Verify relevant licensing with the appropriate regulator. CFTC and NFA registration is relevant to activities within their scope, not every cash bullion sale. Check Council claims in the public credential register; paid rankings are not independent endorsements.
If you suspect fraud
Stop further transfers, preserve contracts, receipts, messages and website addresses, and promptly contact your bank or payment provider. Report suspected wrongdoing to the relevant authority; a Council inquiry is not a substitute for a regulatory or police report.
Official resources
CFTC: Precious Metals Fraud advisory
Report to the CFTC · NFA BASIC registration search · FTC ReportFraud
Not legal or investment advice. The Council does not promise recovery of funds, regulatory enforcement or a particular complaint outcome.