By Karen-in-the Net the teacher who keeps asking too many questions
You think you’ve seen it all. Then one day, a trader writes to me:
“Karen, they gave me a $500 bonus and now I can’t withdraw a cent. What did I do wrong?”
I wish it were rare. It’s not. That’s the Fake Bonus Credit plug-in.
A quiet little ghost that lives inside the broker’s MetaTrader server.
I decided to talk to someone who knows these ghosts by name.
Meet Dr. Ian Van der Velde, a Utrecht-based systems auditor who spent ten years investigating retail brokerage platforms. He has that tired look of someone who’s seen too many logs and too many lies.
Karen: Ian, what exactly is a Fake Bonus Credit plug-in? Ian: It’s a patch. A server-side plug-in that lets the broker “grant” a fake balance or credit line to the trader’s account. On your screen, MetaTrader will show you, say, $500 credited. You’ll see it in your balance, maybe even in your equity. But it’s not real money. It’s a display illusion controlled from the broker’s bridge or the admin terminal.
Karen: So the balance is fake? Ian: Yes. It’s a number on your terminal, not in their books. They do this to create a sense of reward — or to lock you in. They tell you, “Trade with our bonus, and if you profit, you can withdraw.” But behind the curtain, the plug-in injects rules like “withdrawals blocked until turnover ×100.” And since turnover is calculated using fake credits, it’s mathematically impossible to reach.
Karen: So it’s a game you can’t win. Ian: Exactly. The code is written so you stay inside the broker’s garden, trading until you lose. When you lose, they shrug: “Well, the bonus is gone.” When you win, they quote the rules: “Bonus funds can’t be withdrawn.”
I’ve seen those “bonus” traps in MetaTrader logs myself. You open the account, deposit $100, they “add” $500 bonus. Suddenly, your leverage feels generous, your margin looks comfortable. You start trading heavier positions. Then, a sudden margin call. You ask why. Support replies:
“Your bonus has been removed due to breach of conditions.”
And your account collapses like a tent with no pole.
Karen: Can MetaTrader detect this? Ian: No, and that’s the real scandal. MetaTrader’s design allows brokers to modify balance, credit, and equity fields locally from their server. There’s no cryptographic signature, no audit log accessible to clients. Everything is editable by the broker.
Karen: So it’s trust or nothing. Ian: Exactly. MetaTrader is a trust-based system dressed as a trading platform. The retail trader thinks they’re on an exchange, but they’re not. They’re inside a walled simulator owned by the broker.
It reminds me of a student I once taught in Phoenix. She’d been tricked by a “bonus” too — not in trading, but in a payday loan. The company added “free credit” to her account, but it only counted when she spent it. Every time she used it, they charged fees on the “gift.” It’s the same mindset. Dangle something shiny. Make it look like generosity. Then close the door.
Karen: Ian, how can a trader protect themselves? Ian: Three simple things:
Refuse any bonus. A real broker doesn’t need gimmicks. If they say “we’ll double your deposit,” that’s the same as saying “we’ll double your risk.”
Check the license. Real brokers are supervised by real regulators. Bonus systems are often banned in the EU, UK, and Australia for a reason.
Withdraw early. Always test the withdrawal process with a small amount before you grow your balance. If there’s friction — excuses, forms, delays — leave immediately.
When I asked him what happens to the developers who make these plug-ins, Ian laughed in that dry, tired way only IT auditors do.
“They’re freelancers,” he said. “Most live in Eastern Europe or Cyprus. They write plug-ins for anyone who pays. Some used to work for MetaQuotes partners. When MetaQuotes says they ban such code, they only mean they don’t officially support it. But the architecture allows it.”
I keep thinking about that. A system designed without brakes, where honesty is optional and plugins are weapons.
MetaTrader isn’t broken. It’s designed that way.
That’s why scammers love it — the code lets them perform miracles. Fake orders. Fake slippage. Fake liquidity. And now, fake bonuses.
When I posted my first article about the Virtual Dealer plug-in, some readers wrote that I was too emotional, too suspicious. Maybe. But emotion is what keeps you human when machines start lying.
If a platform lets one side rewrite numbers, then it’s not trading — it’s theater.
And every trader deserves to know which side of the curtain they’re sitting on.
Next week, we’ll talk about another phantom: the Trade Execution Delay.
Spoiler: it’s not a myth either.
Stay curious, Karen Baby Pips Forum – “Tools That Trade You” Series
I’ve written a lot about MetaTrader plug-ins, and I think it’s time to remind everyone why I started — and why I’m still doing it. I once invested $500 and got scammed by a rotten face broker who used me in a way I didn’t like, and I decided not to stay quiet about it.
My articles may not sound polished or “professional,” but they’re honest. I write them so others won’t fall into the same traps I did. Here’s a list of the previous ones,in a“Tools That Trade You” Series in case you missed them.