Fraudsters use Sebi, RBI logos to dupe citizens into investing online
Times of India | 7 January 2026
Kolkata: Multiple cases have been reported where fraudsters used the names — and logos — of market regulator Sebi and RBI to dupe Kolkatans into investing online. Kolkata Police has now warned citizens not to blindly believe anything forwarded in the name of the regulatory bodies.
"The cyber fraudsters are perpetrating their illegal trade through various social media platforms. These include widely used services like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp, Telegram, and even Google Play Store and Apple App Store," an officer said.
In the past few weeks, several instances of people getting duped in the name of Sebi were reported. A 57-year-old Salt Lake resident lost Rs 1.8 crore after he was forwarded a fake Sebi-stamped certificate. In another case, a resident of south Kolkata lost Rs 27 lakh to a similar fraud. "A thorough background check is required before investing. No investment should be made hurriedly and without proper verification," an officer warned.
Sebi itself issued a warning last year in this regard. "The rise and adoption of social media has redefined the way we connect and share information. However, some entities are using social media platforms to entice and deceive gullible investors in the securities market. It was observed that such entities use strategies to induce investors into trusting them by gaining their confidence. Such entities usually send unsolicited invitations in the form of prospective clients. These entities create fake profiles that portray them as experts in the securities market," the regulatory body stated.
Sebi said that many times, these entities impersonate Sebi-registered intermediaries, well-known public figures, celebrities, and CEOs/MDs, etc, of established organisations. They exploit investors by showcasing fake testimonials of achieving huge profits from other group members who play a supporting role in these scams. Investors are then tricked into transferring funds to the bank accounts of these entities, with false assurances that such unreasonable returns can also be earned by them.
"Investors are advised not to trust such unsolicited messages from unverified people and to refrain from joining such WhatsApp groups/communities. Investors are advised to deal with only Sebi-registered intermediaries and through authentic trading apps. Investors are advised to verify the status of registration of entities with Sebi at before investing and to carry out trading," the regulatory body said.