SEBIs major drive against stock manipulators through social media channels

In a major move against stock manipulators Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) conducted search and seizure operations in multiple locations across the country on Thursday. SEBI conducted searches at the premises of 7 individuals and 1 corporate entity at multiple locations in Ahmedabad & Bhavnagar in Gujarat, Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Mumbai.  

During the search and seizure operations, SEBI Officials seized various records and documents including 34 Mobile Phones, 6 Laptops, 4 Desktops, 4 Tablets, 2 Hard Drive Disks and 1 Pen Drive from the custody of these persons. These entities were reportedly operating 9 Telegram channels with more than 5 million subscribers and to whom they were making recommendations on selected listed scrips. Through such recommendations they induced the investors to deal in the said scrips, thereby creating artificial volume and price rise. Using this method they provided an opportunity to their linked entities to off-load their shares at higher prices and make significant profits at the cost of innocent retail investors. Before search and seizure, SEBI obtained an order from the Special SEBI Court of Judge Purushottam B Jadhav.  

SEBI is retrieving data, emails and other documents from the seized devices and a detailed investigation is in progress. SEBI had received information that messages containing stock tips and other investment advice with respect to selected listed companies are being widely circulated through websites and social media platforms, such as, Telegram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. Perpetrators of such fraud use various marketing techniques to attract subscribers on their social media channels.  

SEBI has been cautioning and educating investors to be vigilant while taking investment decisions based on stock tips. In the past, SEBI had noticed that through Bulk SMS, investors were induced to invest in or purchase the stocks of certain listed companies. In this regard, SEBI collaborated with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to reduce the vulnerability of the securities market to manipulation through misuse of mass communication medium like Bulk SMS.  

However, the perpetrators of such frauds are now adopting new methods and technologies to defraud the investors. Earlier also SEBI Officials had conducted a search and seizure operation on December 01, 2021 in the premises of certain persons carrying out similar manipulative activities through Telegram channels. Pursuant to that, vide Order dated January 12, 2022 SEBI established that the administrators of a Telegram channel having a large subscriber base enticed the subscribers to act upon recommendations that were circulated by those administrators on the channel, leading to significant price and volume impact in various scrips.  

These administrators had built substantial positions in these scrips prior to the circulation of recommendations and offloaded their positions subsequent to rise in price of these scrips making significant profits at the expense of unsuspecting investors.