Investment or Trading Scam
You were misled into an investment that turned out to be fraudulent.
What this generally means
Unregistered investment schemes promising unrealistic returns are illegal, and losses can be reported to securities and financial regulators.
Your journey
You Are Here
You're trying to understand what to do about an investment scam. That's a good first step.
Understand Issue
Read through what this situation generally means and what your options are.
Gather Documents
Collect the evidence and paperwork that will support your case.
Contact Resource
Reach out to the most relevant authority, helpline, or legal aid service.
Escalate If Needed
If the first contact doesn't resolve things, escalate to a higher forum or authority.
Follow Up
Track your complaint's status and keep records of every response you receive.
Common next steps
- 1Stop any further payments to the scheme immediately.
- 2Check if the entity is registered with SEBI.
- 3File a complaint on the SEBI SCORES portal or RBI Sachet portal, depending on the entity type.
- 4Report to the Cyber Crime Portal if the scam happened online.
Useful documents
- Transaction records/proof of investment
- Marketing material or promises made
- Communication with the scheme operators
Relevant authorities
- SEBI SCORES Portal
- RBI Sachet Portal
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
Frequently asked questions
How can I check if an investment scheme is legitimate?+
Verify registration on SEBI's or RBI's official portals — unusually high, guaranteed returns are a major red flag.
Can I recover my money?+
Recovery isn't guaranteed, but reporting quickly increases the chance regulators can act against the operators and freeze assets.
Verified resources
SEBI SCORES Portal
SEBI Complaints Redress System for investors facing issues with listed companies, brokers, or other market intermediaries.
RBI Sachet Portal
RBI's single-window portal to verify if a financial scheme or lender is registered with a regulator, and to report unauthorised deposit-taking or investment schemes.
District Legal Services Authority (Financial Fraud Cases)
Free consultation for victims of loan harassment, investment scams, and banking fraud, via NALSA's district network.