An ad promising to double or 10x your money, a WhatsApp or Telegram “stock tips” group, an app showing big profits you cannot withdraw — this is the investment scam, and it is now where most cyber-fraud money in India is lost. Investment frauds made up about 76% of the ₹22,495 crore lost to online financial fraud in India in 2025, according to Ministry of Home Affairs data (ETV Bharat, 10 November 2026).
Already invested?
- Stop sending money, including any “tax”, “fee” or “unlock” payment demanded before a withdrawal. It will not release your money.
- Call 1930 and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with every transaction reference, the app or website name, and screenshots of the group.
- Call your bank and tell it the transfers were to a fraudulent investment scheme.
- Do not trust anyone who later offers to recover the money for a fee.
How it works
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) describes this sequence (ETV Bharat):
- The ad. A sponsored ad on Facebook, Instagram or Google promises fast, large returns — sometimes using a deepfake video of a well-known person.
- The group. You are moved into a WhatsApp or Telegram group full of “members” sharing stock tips and profit screenshots.
- The app. You are asked to install a trading app or open a website that looks like a real stock platform. It is fake, and the money you “invest” goes to rented bank accounts.
- The hook. Small early profits look real, so you invest more. When you try to withdraw a larger amount, the money is gone.
I4C is warning about this with a short video based on the Vikram-Betal folktale, and its message is simple: promises of quick, very high returns and pressure to invest quickly are signs of an investment scam.
Warning signs
- “Guaranteed” returns, or returns far higher than a bank deposit or mutual fund.
- Pressure to invest today: a limited slot, an “IPO allotment”, a VIP group closing.
- Tips and trading happen inside a WhatsApp or Telegram group, not through a broker you chose.
- An app you were sent a link to, rather than one from a registered broker you found yourself.
- You are told to pay into a personal or company bank account by UPI or bank transfer.
- Withdrawals need a fee, a tax payment or a minimum balance first.
Check before you invest
- Check that the broker or adviser is registered with SEBI, using the intermediary search on the SEBI website.
- Open a trading account only with a broker you found yourself, and install its app only from the Play Store or App Store.
- Never transfer money to a person’s bank account to “buy shares”. Real brokers do not work that way.
Sources
- ETV Bharat: I4C uses Vikram-Betal to warn against fake investment ads, 10 November 2026 (includes MHA figures)
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
Written by Kshitij Gupta with AI assistance, from the sources above. Last checked 11 November 2026.
