You are added to a WhatsApp group called something like "VIP Stock Club".
Every day, members post screenshots of huge profits.
A "professor" shares tips, and everyone thanks him.
After a week, you start to wonder whether you are missing out.
What is really going on?
Most of the people in that group are part of the scam.
The profit screenshots are made up.
The thankful messages are written by the same people running it.
It is all there to make you trust them.
How does it take the money?
First, small tips that seem to work.
Then you are asked to install a special trading app, or use a website they give you.
The app shows your money growing fast.
When you try to withdraw, there is a fee, a tax or a "minimum balance" to clear first.
The app was never a real trading platform, and the money is gone.
How do I check if an adviser is real?
SEBI keeps public lists of registered investment advisers and research analysts.
Search for the name at sebi.gov.in/intermediaries.html.
Match the name and registration number exactly.
Then contact them using the details on SEBI's list, not the ones in the group.
Scammers often display fake registration numbers and certificates, so the search is what counts.
What are the warning signs?
Guaranteed returns, or returns far above anything normal.
Being added to a group you never asked to join.
Pressure to act today, before the "opportunity" closes.
Payment to a personal account or UPI ID instead of a registered broker.
An app you can only download from a link, not your broker's official app.
What if I have already paid?
Stop sending money, whatever they say about fees or taxes.
Save the chats, the app screenshots and every payment detail.
Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in straight away.
You can also report the entity to SEBI.
Things to Remember
- Profit screenshots in tip groups are usually fake.
- Check any adviser on
sebi.gov.in/intermediaries.html. - Never pay into a personal account to invest.
- Fees to "withdraw your profits" mean the money is already gone.
- Report on 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in quickly.