SEBI warns investors of fraudulent communications & identity impersonation
SEBI has issued a warning to investors about fraudsters impersonating its officials to solicit payments.
- Sep 5, 2025,
- Updated Sep 5, 2025 4:41 PM IST
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has cautioned investors about fraudulent activities involving impersonation of SEBI officials. Fraudsters have been exploiting SEBI's identity by using its letterhead, logo, and seal in communications to deceive individuals and entities. These fraudulent communications often appear to be sent by SEBI officials and demand payments for compliance services or penalties to avoid supposed punitive actions by SEBI.
These scams are also being propagated through social media platforms, and fraudsters have been falsely certifying their accounts as SEBI-authorised, further misleading investors. SEBI's emphasised the importance of investor vigilance to protect against these scams and prevent potential financial losses.
The fraudulent activities have also involved the misuse of SEBI's letterhead to portray fraudulent accounts as certified vendor or merchant accounts under SEBI's supervision. This deception extends to forged signatures of SEBI officials on such documents, which falsely validate these accounts as genuine. As a result, unsuspecting investors have been losing substantial amounts of money by transferring funds to these fraudulent accounts.
SEBI has emphasised on the critical need for investors to verify communications' authenticity and refrain from engaging with or transferring money to unauthorised accounts.
Sebi said public is urged to exercise caution and note the following:
i. Every enforcement action taken by SEBI is available on the SEBI website under the path Home >Enforcement.
ii. Any online Order/Settlement/Recovery Payment to SEBI is to be done through https://siportal.sebi.gov.in/intermediary/AOPaymentGateway.html.
iii. Contact details of SEBI officials are available on the SEBI website under the path Home > About>SEBI Directory.
iv. Communication from SEBI through emails is sent through official e-mail IDs of SEBI officials only. These email IDs end with domain address @sebi.gov.in.
v. Addresses of SEBI offices are available on the SEBI website under the path Home > About> Addresses of Offices of SEBI.
Investors are advised to remain vigilant while dealing with communication being received from domain addresses that do not end with @sebi.gov.in. Investors may also remain cautious and verify the authenticity of people demanding information or payment on behalf of SEBI.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has cautioned investors about fraudulent activities involving impersonation of SEBI officials. Fraudsters have been exploiting SEBI's identity by using its letterhead, logo, and seal in communications to deceive individuals and entities. These fraudulent communications often appear to be sent by SEBI officials and demand payments for compliance services or penalties to avoid supposed punitive actions by SEBI.
These scams are also being propagated through social media platforms, and fraudsters have been falsely certifying their accounts as SEBI-authorised, further misleading investors. SEBI's emphasised the importance of investor vigilance to protect against these scams and prevent potential financial losses.
The fraudulent activities have also involved the misuse of SEBI's letterhead to portray fraudulent accounts as certified vendor or merchant accounts under SEBI's supervision. This deception extends to forged signatures of SEBI officials on such documents, which falsely validate these accounts as genuine. As a result, unsuspecting investors have been losing substantial amounts of money by transferring funds to these fraudulent accounts.
SEBI has emphasised on the critical need for investors to verify communications' authenticity and refrain from engaging with or transferring money to unauthorised accounts.
Sebi said public is urged to exercise caution and note the following:
i. Every enforcement action taken by SEBI is available on the SEBI website under the path Home >Enforcement.
ii. Any online Order/Settlement/Recovery Payment to SEBI is to be done through https://siportal.sebi.gov.in/intermediary/AOPaymentGateway.html.
iii. Contact details of SEBI officials are available on the SEBI website under the path Home > About>SEBI Directory.
iv. Communication from SEBI through emails is sent through official e-mail IDs of SEBI officials only. These email IDs end with domain address @sebi.gov.in.
v. Addresses of SEBI offices are available on the SEBI website under the path Home > About> Addresses of Offices of SEBI.
Investors are advised to remain vigilant while dealing with communication being received from domain addresses that do not end with @sebi.gov.in. Investors may also remain cautious and verify the authenticity of people demanding information or payment on behalf of SEBI.