New Delhi, Oct. 25 -- Investing in mutual funds and stocks has become more accessible in India, but scammers have also found new ways to exploit this growing participation and dupe investors online with promises of quick and guaranteed returns.

WhatsApp and Telegram groups are often used to build a false sense of trust through fake profit screenshots and stock tips, before members are directed to fraudulent trading apps that can drain their savings.

According to data from Ministry of Finance, as many as 235 lakh of demat accounts were added during FY 2026 (till December 2025), pushing the total count beyond 21.6 crore. The mutual fund industry also continued to expand, with 5.9 crore unique investors recorded at the same period, of whic...