Telegram signal groups: what the numbers usually look like

[Shadow Trader]

A channel posts a signal. Buy EURUSD, stop here, target there. Dozens of screenshots of winners follow. Join the premium tier for more.

The reality behind many of these groups is less glamorous. Signals are often posted after the move has started, with entry prices that no longer exist when subscribers try to follow. Losing signals are deleted. Winning ones are highlighted. Results rarely include spread, slippage or realistic delays between posting and execution.

Some channels operate as marketing funnels for broker referrals. The operator earns from the volume of trades subscribers generate, regardless of whether they win.

A fair test of any signal service: record every signal as it arrives, fill it at the actual price available after a realistic delay, include costs, and keep the record for at least three months.

Most services fail that test quickly. The few that pass deserve attention, though they're rare.

Another hint: a channel that never posts losing signals, or that conveniently "forgets" to mention them, is almost certainly editing history. Even the best systems have losing streaks, and a feed with none is a feed with something to hide.

Has any signal provider survived a real-time, cost-inclusive test?