Fake Advisors Busted: Is Your ₹ Safe With Them?

SEBI has slapped an emergency interim order on Stark Investments and others for running illegal investment advisory and portfolio management services without any SEBI registration. If you paid them, your money has no regulatory protection.

Here's what happened: SEBI issued an ex parte interim order against Stark Investments and associates for providing investment advice and managing client portfolios without SEBI registration.. Operating without SEBI registration as an Investment Advisor (IA) or Portfolio Manager (PMS) is illegal under SEBI regulations and can lead to prosecution.. An 'ex parte' order means SEBI acted immediately without waiting for the accused's response — signalling urgency to protect investors from ongoing harm..

What you should do: Verify any investment advisor or portfolio manager on SEBI's official SCORES portal (scores.sebi.gov.in) before handing over a single rupee.. If you have already invested with Stark Investments or similar unregistered entities, file a complaint immediately on SEBI SCORES or call 1800 266 7575.. Avoid anyone promising guaranteed returns or asking for lump-sum 'portfolio management' fees without showing you a SEBI registration certificate..

Ask your advisor for their SEBI registration number — a legitimate Investment Advisor has an 'INA' prefixed code you can verify on sebi.gov.in in under 2 minutes.

For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.