Kavita (name changed) came to us after a well-known SEBI-registered investment adviser failed to honour a promise it had put in writing. During the sales call, the adviser strongly emphasised flexibility. Kavita then signed an agreement that gave her a clear 90-day exit window with a 50% refund on unused fees. She paid ₹4,73,000 for […]

Rakesh (name changed) deposited ₹1,00,000 with his advisory firm in January 2026. Soon after, he received an invoice for ₹12,500, an amount that appeared proportionate to his investment. Then he increased his capital. The very next day, a new invoice landed: ₹62,500. That was five times the earlier fee, with no clear explanation except a

Deepak (name changed) signed up with a research analyst firm after attending a webinar in late 2024. During onboarding, he was given a UPI ID and bank account number for payment. Both, however, were held in an individual’s name, not the firm’s. Over the next four months, Deepak made three instalment payments totalling ₹3,00,000. Each

Sunita (name changed) had been working with an advisory firm for several months, following recommended positions and adjusting them based on regular calls from her assigned adviser. In the middle of a set of open positions, the calls stopped. Her adviser did not answer, the office number went unreachable, and no one from the firm

Suresh (name changed) was introduced to a SEBI-registered investment adviser through a family referral in early 2024. The adviser offered a discount if he paid for three years of service upfront. Suresh paid ₹4,22,000 in one transaction, expecting continuous support for the full three years. For the first four months, the relationship worked normally. SEBI

Anil (name changed) was approached by a SEBI-registered research analyst offering a premium annual package. The sales pitch focused heavily on personalised calls and daily targets rather than the fee amount itself. He paid ₹1,80,000 for the first year, then renewed twice at higher rates as the relationship continued. His combined payments across the period

Imagine paying ₹88,500 upfront for a premium research service, only to receive absolutely nothing. That is what happened to Arvind (name changed). After a sales call in early 2025, he signed up expecting daily market analysis, weekly reports, and direct calls whenever he needed them. He paid the entire amount upfront and waited for the

Priya (name changed) was introduced to the analyst by a colleague in mid 2025. On the first call, the representative explained that Priya would pay a small joining amount and then share a fixed percentage of any profit generated. She paid ₹15,000 as the joining amount. The invoice she received described this as a quarterly