Fake SEBI-Registered Adviser Impersonation Scam on social media
How it looks on social media, the red flags and what to do.
On Instagram, Facebook or YouTube the scam can be an ad, a direct message, a giveaway or a "trader" who shows profits. Fake SEBI-Registered Adviser Impersonation Scam is one of the ways this shows up: Scammers pose as registered advisers or well-known brokers, quote copied registration details and ask you to pay to a personal account.
What fake sebi-registered adviser impersonation scam looks like on social media
- A "friend" account that is a copy of someone you know.
- A comment thread full of identical "thank you" replies.
- A direct message from a stranger, a "brand" or a "recruiter".
The scammer picks a real registered name and copies the certificate, the logo and the registration number from public records. They create profiles and websites that closely resemble the real ones, with only a letter or an extra word changed in the address. They contact you through ads, groups or calls after a lead form you filled out on a finance page.
Red flags to check on the social media message
- The adviser contacts you first and quotes a registration number.
- A certificate image is sent as proof.
- Fees are paid to a personal account or a different name.
- Returns are given as a fixed monthly percentage.
- The account asks you for money after a short friendly chat.
- A stranger moves the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram.
What to do
- Do not pay or deposit until you verify the adviser.
- Look up the registration on the regulator's official list by typing the address yourself.
- Find the firm's own contact details independently and ask whether the person works there.
- Make your own profile private and review who can message you.
- If you paid, call 1930 and keep screenshots of the chat and the payment.
- Do not pay, share codes or move to another app.
Use Report on the profile, post or ad. If money was lost, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.
If money or a code is already gone
- Call 1930 right away with payee details and amounts.
- Tell your bank through the number on your card so it can try to hold transfers.
- File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with certificates, chats and payment proofs.
- Inform the real firm whose name was used, through its official channels.
National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.
Safeavio Sentinel's scam check reads a pitch you paste and shows signals such as fixed monthly returns, fees to a personal account and an adviser who contacted you first. The link check lets you paste a website address to look for lookalike domains. Money Shield asks you to verify before you pay. It cannot check regulator records, so use the official list and the firm's own contacts.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
Full guide: Fake SEBI-Registered Adviser Impersonation Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, phone call.
Questions
How do I know if a social media message about fake sebi-registered adviser impersonation scam is a scam?
Check the red flags above: a stranger moves the chat to whatsapp or telegram. a prize needs a payment or a code first. When in doubt, do not act on the social media message; open the official app or website yourself or call the number printed on your card or bill.
What should I do first if I receive this social media message?
Do not pay, share codes or move to another app. Check the account: when it was created, who follows it, and whether the real brand links to it from its own website.