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Account Rules • Visual Master Guide

IP & Device Cluster Reviews

Logins from shared IPs or devices link accounts together — one flagged trader can taint the cluster.

Desks fingerprint IP address, device ID, and VPS host at login and payout. Multiple accounts on one dorm, office, or shared VPS IP look like one operator running coordinated trading. Copying the same signals across the cluster reads as prohibited coordination. One widely discussed case involved a $4,838 payout held for cluster review after shared-network logins. Trade from one stable home IP or one private VPS, never share credentials, and never mirror entries with friends.

5 min • Interactive Live visual Test in Simulator
Verified vs official FAQ & Terms

Applies to 3 firms • Account Rules • ALL

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Deep Dive

Why this rule exists

Desks fingerprint IP address, device ID, and VPS host at login and payout. Multiple accounts on one dorm, office, or shared VPS IP look like one operator running coordinated trading. Copying the same signals across the cluster reads as prohibited coordination. One widely discussed case involved a $4,838 payout held for cluster review after shared-network logins. Trade from one stable home IP or one private VPS, never share credentials, and never mirror entries with friends.

How traders get caught

This rule is often buried in FAQ or enforced only at payout review — not on the pricing page. Check the exact firm wording before assuming the headline covers your case.

How to stay safe

Verify the firm terms excerpt, keep evidence logs of your setup, and test edge cases in the simulator before sizing up.

The Formula

How it is calculated

Cluster Flag = If (Shared IP OR Shared Device OR Mirrored Entries) → Manual Review

Real Dollar Example

On $100K accounts, you and two friends trade the same XAUUSD signal from one shared VPS and all request payouts the same week. All three land in manual review; one $4,838 payout was held pending proof of independent operation. Separate IPs and independent entries would have cleared automatically.

Common Traps & Mistakes

1

Sharing one VPS login across three traders to split costs.

2

Copying a mentor trade verbatim with identical timestamps across accounts.

3

Logging in from a friend account to close their trade during news.

Firms using this rule

Goat Funded Trader IP/device cluster monitored, flaFTMO One trader per account, no managTopstep Coordinated-trade review on futu
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