The admin-injected counter positions scam is a deeply unethical broker tactic where trades are manually or algorithmically placed against the trader’s active positions by the broker’s internal admin team. These counter-trades are not executed by the client but appear in their account as if they were—often without notification. The purpose is to neutralise profits, force losses, or drain equity over time, particularly when a trader becomes consistently profitable or trades with high volume.

This is not slippage or hedging—it’s undisclosed interference masquerading as client activity.

How the Scam Works

1. Trader Runs a Profitable Strategy
You may be:

• Holding winning swing trades
• Running an algorithm or EA with high-frequency execution
• Placing well-timed trades around volatility

After consistent profits, your account is flagged as “high risk” for the broker.

2. Broker Injects Mirror or Counter Positions Without Your Consent
Admin staff or internal systems forcefully place trades:

• In the opposite direction of your current trades
• With equal or greater lot size
• At prices that intentionally undermine your exposure

These positions appear in your account history as if placed manually or through a trading tool—but you never authorised them.

3. The Counter-Trades Offset Your Profits or Trigger Margin Calls
Outcomes include:

• P&L from your winning trade is cancelled by the forced losing position
• Equity drops due to added exposure
• Margin level falls, leading to automatic liquidation of real positions

The broker effectively neutralises your success—without ever informing you of the interference.

4. Broker Blames Glitch, EA, or ‘Mirror Trading Feature’
When questioned, the broker may say:

“It appears you had mirror trading enabled.”
“Your EA settings may have caused reverse trades.”
“It’s a known platform bug—under review.”
“Admin trades are used to protect liquidity exposure.”

But the truth is clear: they intervened to create losing trades on your behalf.

Real Case: Forced USD/JPY Counter Order Destroys 5 Days of Profit

A trader runs a breakout strategy and gains 14% over five days. On the sixth day, a 1.0 lot sell appears on USD/JPY—directly opposite their long position, with no trade placed by the trader or EA. The market moves up, and the sell trade wipes out previous gains. The broker claims:

“That position was opened via our liquidity balancing engine to offset exposure.”

There was no prior disclosure, no setting to disable it, and no accountability.

Why This Scam Is So Dangerous

Admin-injected counter positions are one of the most covert and malicious forms of manipulation because:

• They appear legitimate in the account history
• They use your own equity against you
• They sabotage consistent profitability
• They’re hard to disprove without access to server logs
• They undermine confidence in platform autonomy

It’s like a co-pilot crashing your plane mid-flight—while claiming it was just turbulence.

How to Detect Admin Counter-Trades

1. You See Unfamiliar Positions in Your Trade History
If you notice trades that:

• You never placed
• Are opposite to your planned direction
• Don’t match your lot sizes or time entries

…it’s likely an injected position.

2. Execution Occurs When You’re Offline
If positions open while your platform was closed or you were logged out—question it.

3. EA Logs Show No Record of Trade Placement
Check your Expert tab. If no EA-initiated order is logged, yet trades exist—admin injection is highly probable.

4. Order Comments Are Blank or Use Internal Codes
Look for order comments like:

• admin@liquidity
• mirror_exec_1
• No comment at all (which is unusual for MT4/MT5 EAs)

5. Forced Trades Only Appear After Profit Streaks
Sudden trade reversals following large gains are rarely coincidence.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Use Brokers With Verified No-Dealing-Desk (NDD) or ECN Execution
True ECN brokers cannot inject positions manually—they route orders to the market transparently.

2. Monitor Trade History Continuously
Use tools like:

• Myfxbook
• FX Blue
• MT4 trade log extractors

to track every order and detect unknown trades.

3. Run Third-Party Account Mirrors or VPS Screenshots
Maintain a mirrored record of trades or take automated screenshots. If an unknown trade appears—you’ll have visual proof.

4. Disable All EA Permissions If Not Using Bots
If you’re trading manually, disable EA access in terminal settings to eliminate blame-shifting.

5. Record and Report All Suspicious Trades Immediately
Take screenshots and request trade audit data, including:

• Server logs
• Execution timestamps
• IP origin of trade

Escalate to regulators if the broker refuses to cooperate.

Regulatory Expectations

Brokers regulated under FCA, ASIC, CySEC, and MiFID II must:

• Ensure all trades are client-authorised
• Prohibit internal execution without consent
• Maintain transparent trade logs
• Avoid manipulation of exposure using unauthorised methods

Placing unauthorised trades on client accounts is a severe breach of financial conduct, potentially amounting to fraud and license termination.

Conclusion: If You Didn’t Place the Trade, You Shouldn’t Pay for the Loss

The admin-injected counter position scam is invisible manipulation, cloaked in technical jargon and false legitimacy. It overrides your strategy, consumes your equity, and blames you for losses you never authorised.

To learn how to defend your account from backend sabotage, audit trade integrity, and hold brokers accountable for hidden manipulation, enrol in our Trading Courses. We’ll show you how to detect, document, and defeat the trades you never placed.