The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a public caution after receiving reports of fraudulent communications in which the sender falsely claims to be a SEBI official and misuses SEBI’s letterhead, logo and seal. SEBI noted cases where notices were issued via social media platforms demanding payment of a fine to prevent regulatory action, along with instances involving a forged sale certificate purporting to show purchase of PACL property and a fake certificate relating to use of a third-party vendor account. SEBI urged investors and the public to verify the authenticity of any purported SEBI communication through its website. It highlighted that SEBI orders carry unique reference numbers and are published under Home > Enforcement > Orders, recovery certificates are available under Home > Enforcement > Recovery Proceedings, and official letters, notices, show-cause notices and summons carry a unique document identification number (UDIN) that can be authenticated via Home > Authenticate Document Number Issued by SEBI. SEBI also pointed to its online directory for officials’ names and contact details and advised checking that official emails come from addresses ending “@sebi.gov.in”, warning against sharing information or making payments in response to suspicious messages.

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