Trading influencers: an 8-question checklist before you pay for a course or a group
The Sentinelle Markets team · 29 October 2026 · 4 min read · How we write
In short
- Screenshots of winning trades prove nothing about results.
- Promised incomes and copy-my-trades channels are red flags.
- Good education explains risk and doesn't depend on opening an account.
Trading content on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Telegram is often the first contact beginners have with the markets. Some of it is genuinely educational. Some of it exists to sell a course, a paid group or an affiliate link to a platform. Since 2023, French law has restricted how influencers can promote financial products, but the rules don't reach every account and every country. These eight questions help you tell the difference before you pay.
The 8-question checklist
| # | Question | Red flag answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who is behind the account, with a real name and a company? | Anonymous, or a company you can't find |
| 2 | How do they earn money? | They won't say, or it's a link to a platform |
| 3 | Do they show losses as well as wins? | Only screenshots of winning days |
| 4 | Do they promise an income or a percentage? | "Make 10% a month", "quit your job" |
| 5 | Do they sell calls to copy in real time? | Paid "signals" channel, "copy my trades" |
| 6 | Do they push one particular broker? | Bonus codes, "open your account through my link" |
| 7 | Is there urgency? | "Last 5 places", countdown timers |
| 8 | Is the platform they promote authorised? | Not found in any register, or on a warning list |
Two or more red flags is enough to walk away. Question 8 is the one to check yourself: how to search the AMF, FSMA and FINMA lists.
Why screenshots prove nothing
A screenshot of a winning trade shows one trade on one account, possibly a demo, possibly edited. It says nothing about the trades not shown. What would matter is a full record over months, with every losing week, and even that would describe the past, not your future results.
The real cost of a "cheap" group
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Group subscription, 12 months at $49 | $588 |
| Trades copied with too large a size, one bad week | −$900 |
| Total after a year | −$1,488 before any market gains or losses |
Illustrative calculation, not an expectation of results.
The subscription is the smaller part. The larger part is trading someone else's idea with a size you didn't calculate. Whatever you learn and from whom, size every trade from your own stop with the lot size calculator, and check whether the target justifies the risk with the risk/reward calculator.
What good education looks like
- It explains how and why, not what to buy today.
- It talks about risk, costs and losing streaks as much as about setups.
- It states clearly that most retail traders lose money.
- It doesn't depend on you opening an account anywhere.
If an influencer pushes you to deposit with a platform and then "recover" a loss, read about recovery scams before you answer.
Questions people also ask
Are paid trading groups legal?
It depends on what they do and where. Since 2023 French law restricts influencer promotion of financial products; check the AMF's guidance and the firms involved.
How many red flags are too many?
Two or more on the checklist is enough reason to walk away.
Is copying an influencer's trades safe?
You take someone else's idea with a size you didn't calculate. Size every trade from your own stop.
Take the quiz and find your trader profile.
Take the quizTrading financial markets carries a high level of risk and can result in the loss of all the money you invest. Sentinelle Markets content is for education only and is not investment advice. Past results do not guarantee future results.