Prop Trading scams have become increasingly popular. According to numerous reviews of the Funded Trader, it might also be a scam. Angelo Ciaramello founded this company and is the brain behind its operations.
Is Angelo Ciaramello a scammer?
Should you trust The Funded Trader?
I hope to answer your questions in my post.
What Angelo Ciaramello’s firm claims to be:
There is a good chance that The Funded Trader is one of the most community-oriented investing firms. A company known as The Funded Trader was officially established on May 12th, 2021. In addition to providing their traders with the opportunity to operate with capital of up to $1,500,000 in balance and with profit shares of up to 90%, they furthermore have an office that is located in the United States.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Funded Trader, Angelo Ciaramello, who is 24 years old and hails from New Jersey, established The Funded Trader in the year 2020. His business began as a startup that pioneered the concept of gamifying retail trading in the capital markets. The purpose of this endeavour was to make it possible for individual traders to compete with one another to obtain funding and achieve the highest possible position on the rankings scoreboard.
Several other funding challenges were identified by Angelo and his team. These challenges enabled individuals to trade the company’s capital and obtain profit splits based on a percentage of the total amount. The recognition that he received as one of the top 25 Financial Technology Leaders of New Jersey for the year 2022 was one of his more impressive accomplishments that he accomplished.
Any individual who is interested in following Angelo Ciaramello can do so by following him on LinkedIn and Instagram. By doing so, you will be able to view a greater number of his posts and learn about what he is doing on a regular basis.
Examples of Complaints Against Angelo Ciaramello and His Firm
#1. Contrary to the defined terms, and I’m sorry to say that I’ve moved on, but I’m still here to warn anyone who might end up becoming a victim. A glimmer of hope came to me in the form of “stamp life,” which finally altered the course of my life irrevocably.
#2. They are telling a lie when they ask people to create a ticket here. I created a ticket fifteen days ago, and my payout is still pending from twenty-three people in discord. You are the biggest liar in the firm industry. Their CEO asks every day that we solved the issue a month ago, but there is still no issue solved. Now people are literally begging for their own money that they have earned. Shame on you.
#3. Maintain a safe distance for the time being. The chief executive officer has made many changes to the rules over the course of the past few months, and as a result, he is unable to pay traders who are currently financed. The current idea that he has is to launch a new type of challenge in an effort to pay new traders while leaving those who already have accounts that are funded in the dust. REMEMBER TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY. Join the Discord server and look for yourself; nobody has any faith in these individuals. They have no idea how to organise and manage a company!
#4. An amount deducted from the account
My account for the 10,000 Knight Pro Challenge was breached and received a deduction of $229 from TFT. For the past three days, I have been attempting to retrieve my account through the support team, but each time I have been given an unacceptable excuse and my case has been closed. It was for the same reason that I had previously lost my account, and it happened again for the same reason. The worst part is that the support team is eager to close issues without actually resolving the problem as quickly as possible. It is my fault that I trusted again after giving it five stars in the past.
#5. There are a lot of reviews that you find that mention things like, “I received a payout with ease!” Or, “I am extremely thankful that everything is going according to plan!” Most likely, these are bots.
The discord server is going completely crazy with traders screaming that they have never gotten payouts or that their accounts have been banned once they have requested a payout… simply because the company does not have any money. It was said by the proprietor himself in the conflict… In the event that you do not believe, be sure to participate and see for yourself.
#6. My initial withdrawal request resulted in a payment that was only a small portion of what I was entitled to get. This was due to the fact that the company had implemented a new tier payment system, which was not in place when we signed the agreement and received funding. Instead of the $1,200 that I had requested, I was given $330. Additionally, I was meant to receive a five percent payment from the challenge phase, but there was no payment sent to me. Therefore, pay attention to the tier payment structure and think about whether or not it is something that you would be interested in.
#7. Complete and utter untruth. Following a time during which I waited and wrote, receiving a comprehensive evaluation of my honest experience, and being informed that the problem would be handled, I was ultimately barred from trading. In all seriousness, I am merely trading and requesting my recompense. After being informed that it would be handled within forty-five days, I am subjected to a rejection. It’s a joke, HAHAHA.
If you cherish both your time and your money, you should steer clear of this prop company that is nothing but a complete and utter fraud. They will allow you to buy and sell, they will prohibit you, and they will steal your money. A company that has collapsed, and the chief executive officer is most likely to wind up in jail. In the best of circumstances, white-collar criminals are detained in jail; nonetheless, they are not free to steal money from other people.
Red Flags in The Funded Trader Prop Firm
The prop trading boom of recent years has drawn thousands of aspiring traders into a rapidly expanding ecosystem of firms promising access to funded accounts, profit-sharing, and flexible remote trading opportunities. Among these, The Funded Trader (TFT), associated with entrepreneur Angelo Ciaramello, gained quick popularity thanks to strong marketing, influencer partnerships, and appealing trader challenges. However, beneath the surface of this rapid growth, numerous red flags have emerged—raising questions about the firm’s integrity, reliability, and long-term viability.
If you’re considering joining The Funded Trader, here are several critical red flags you should understand before committing your time or money.
1. Payout Issues and Delayed Withdrawals
One of the most serious concerns surrounding The Funded Trader has been recurring issues with trader payouts. On forums like Trustpilot, Reddit, and Discord, multiple users have reported long delays in receiving their profit splits after passing challenges and achieving funded status.
While some delays may be attributed to internal systems or verification processes, the volume of complaints, inconsistent communication, and the firm’s tendency to cite vague policy violations at the last minute has raised alarm bells. Some traders claim they were denied payouts entirely without clear evidence of rules being broken.
In the prop trading world, consistent and timely payouts are a basic trust requirement. If traders cannot rely on the firm to honor profit agreements, it undermines the entire funding model.
2. Changing Rules Mid-Challenge
Another troubling pattern with TFT is the alleged mid-challenge rule changes. Traders have reported that rules regarding things like drawdown limits, news trading restrictions, or lot size maximums were altered while they were actively participating in challenges—sometimes disqualifying them retroactively.
Frequent and sudden updates to the Terms and Conditions, often without clear communication, have left many traders feeling misled. A fair prop firm must offer stable, clearly defined rules and honor the original agreement under which a trader entered.
Rule shifting during evaluations is a strong indicator that a firm may be more interested in challenge fees than in funding successful traders.
3. Aggressive Marketing and Hype-Driven Promotion
The Funded Trader has invested heavily in influencer-driven marketing campaigns, gamified branding, and giveaways. While this strategy has helped build a large community, it has also drawn criticism for focusing more on hype than on sustainable trader development.
The firm’s branding often includes fantasy-themed elements (e.g., “Royal Challenge,” “Knight’s Quest”) and appeals to beginner traders with phrases like “become a funded trader fast” or “earn six figures from your laptop.” These exaggerated marketing claims risk misleading inexperienced users about the realities of trading.
For a firm to build long-term trust, it must strike a balance between growth and realism. Too much emphasis on hype often signals that a company may be prioritizing volume and revenue over trader success.
4. Leadership Transparency and Oversight
Angelo Ciaramello, known as the public face of The Funded Trader, presents himself as a serial entrepreneur and fintech innovator. However, beyond his public appearances and social media presence, there’s limited transparency regarding the rest of the management team, corporate structure, and financial backing of TFT.
Additionally, the firm does not make it easy to verify its legal registration, regulatory oversight, or operational headquarters. This lack of transparency can pose serious risks, particularly if traders need to escalate disputes or seek legal remedies.
In a financial service environment, clear corporate accountability is not optional—it’s essential.
5. Over-Reliance on Third-Party Platforms
TFT, like many prop firms, relies on third-party brokers and trading platforms such as MetaTrader 4 and 5, often through offshore brokerage partnerships. While this isn’t uncommon in the industry, it can become a red flag when those partnerships are not well-disclosed or when brokers themselves are unregulated.
Some traders have reported slippage, execution issues, and even spreads being manipulated during challenges. When combined with other transparency issues, it suggests that TFT may not have full control over the trading environments it promotes—raising doubts about the fairness of their challenge evaluations.
6. Customer Support and Accountability
Customer service is another area where The Funded Trader receives mixed reviews. Several traders note that reaching out to support results in slow responses, vague answers, or automated replies that do not address their concerns directly.
This is particularly worrying when dealing with sensitive issues like account violations, withdrawals, or technical bugs that impact a trader’s ability to meet challenge goals.
Prop firms must provide responsive, fair, and knowledgeable support to ensure trust. A lack of accountability when money and livelihoods are on the line is a critical failure.
7. Focus on Challenge Revenue Over Trader Success
There’s a growing concern that The Funded Trader’s business model may be overly reliant on selling challenges rather than actually funding successful traders. With a high failure rate among new entrants and an aggressive push toward challenge sales, critics argue that TFT may be profiting more from trader losses than from funded account performance.
This model—often called the “challenge mill” in trading communities—raises ethical concerns. A reputable firm should succeed when its traders succeed, not when they fail.
Conclusion: Proceed with Caution
While The Funded Trader may offer a fun and gamified entry into the world of prop trading, the red flags—from inconsistent rules and payout issues to opaque leadership and overhyped marketing—warrant serious caution. Aspiring traders should thoroughly vet any prop firm before joining, reading all terms carefully, seeking out verified reviews, and, most importantly, avoiding firms that prioritize challenge revenue over trader development.
