Summary
Started using FTMO on September 24, 2025. Purchased 10 challenge accounts (100k each) between September 2025 and February 2026, and received approximately $7,500 in payouts and approximately $2,500 in refunds, totaling approximately $10,000. However, FTMO classified my trading as “one-sided betting” and terminated three funded 100k accounts and one 100k challenge account. I asked which specific trades were problematic, but FTMO stated that they could not disclose the details. My relationship with FTMO has ended.
Timeline
I had known about FTMO since I first discovered prop firms in 2024, but I avoided it because it was more expensive than other firms, and at the time I did not fully appreciate the importance of its reputation and track record.
As I gained experience with other prop firms, I began to realize how much those things mattered. Still, the cost remained a barrier. Then, around September 2025 (I don’t remember the exact timing), they began offering a 20% discount, so I decided to purchase.
When I had questions about payment methods, their support responded quickly and left a very positive impression.
On November 22, I received my first payout. It was a small amount, but things were going smoothly.
I received several more payouts after that. The largest was approximately $2,000 on January 29.
On February 5, I received an email stating: “We have observed a pattern of frequent or potentially excessive ordering activity on your registration.” My risk per trade was around 1%, and my daily risk was around 2–3%, but due to the high volatility of Gold, some accounts hit their disqualification limits in a short period. Specifically, I purchased a challenge on January 29, another on February 2, and attempted another purchase on February 5.
I reached out to ask about this, and received a response along the lines of: “Please be assured that the email you received was a precautionary notice intended to promote a disciplined trading environment; it is not a restriction on your account. You are welcome to purchase a new FTMO Challenge whenever it aligns with your trading plan, and to continue following your risk management strategy.” This put me at ease.
Between September 2025 and February 2026, I purchased a total of 10 challenges. I understood the warning as simply the system flagging three purchases in quick succession, and felt reassured. I then purchased another challenge on February 11.
On February 17, I received an email titled “FTMO Notice.” It stated that FTMO had classified my trading activity as not genuine trading but “one-sided betting,” and that as a result, my three funded 100k accounts and one 100k challenge account would be terminated, along with the entire business relationship.
I responded by explaining that I believed my trading was conducted with strict risk management and that I had not violated any rules.
However, they responded that they could not disclose the details of their review process, that they had identified issues with my overall trading activity, and that they had concluded my trading was not genuine.
To give some context about my actual trading: on my 100k accounts, I traded Gold at 0.5 to 1 lot, and pairs like EUR/USD at 3 to 6 lots, always keeping my risk at 1% per trade. I typically placed one to two trades per day. I did not gamble on news events. I did not scalp. I did not use hedging or martingale strategies. Since I can no longer log into MT5, I am attaching screenshots from the FTMO dashboard as evidence of my trading activity.
English is not my first language, so there may be parts I have not understood correctly. With that in mind, there are two issues that I feel are important.
The first is that my account was suspended without what I felt was a clear, specific explanation. That said, I can understand their position. If the details of their review process were made public, it could potentially be exploited.
The second issue is something I consider more serious. The notice email stated that the final payout would be made on the condition that I acknowledge the notice and agree to refrain from hostile behavior towards FTMO aimed at causing harm to the company and its reputation. While the email did not explicitly say “do not publicize,” I interpreted this wording as effectively discouraging me from speaking openly about my experience.
Again, English is not my native language, so my interpretation could be wrong. If it is, I would appreciate being corrected.
But if the message means what I think it means, most traders do not have the time, money, or knowledge to enter into a dispute with a company as large as FTMO. On top of that, the final payout is typically only a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Going public could be seen as hostile behavior — which would mean losing even that.
As a result, I imagine many traders, even if they did not agree, would accept the terms, take the final payout, and say nothing.
I sometimes wonder if this might be one reason why FTMO’s reputation online is overwhelmingly positive, with very few negative voices. Of course, this is purely my speculation. I hope I am wrong.
I accepted the account termination and the refund process. However, this does not mean that I acknowledged any wrongdoing in my trading. My time and resources are limited, and unfortunately I was not in a position to decline this offer.
They proceeded with the reward payout and the refund. I have already received the payment.
This is everything I experienced while using FTMO. I do not believe they are a fraudulent or malicious company. I do not think such a company could have built the track record they have. However, human or system errors can occur, and there is always a possibility that traders may be disadvantaged as a result. I believed that with FTMO, such a possibility would be extremely low — but the reality is that my relationship with them ended over a violation I could not identify.
From this experience, I learned that rather than relying on a single “perfect” prop firm, it is important to use multiple firms, understand how each one operates, diversify risk and capital, and continue to grow both your assets and your trading skills.