Is Your UPI Handle Safe? SEBI’s New Tool ’SEBI Check’ Lets You Instantly Catch Fraudsters Before You Pay

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has announced the launch of ‘SEBI Check’, a powerful tool that enables investors to instantly verify UPI handles and bank account details of market intermediaries. The initiative aims to safeguard investor interests and will be officially available for public use from October 1, 2025.

Instantly Verify

With scams involving fake payment requests and impersonation on the rise, SEBI’s new tool offers a simple solution: investors can either scan a QR code or manually input a UPI ID to confirm if it belongs to a SEBI-registered intermediary. For added security, investors can also verify bank account details, including account number and IFSC code, before making any payments.

Structured, Validated UPI Handles for Market Entities

To standardize payment channels, SEBI will now require all registered entities—like brokers, mutual funds, and other intermediaries—to adopt a structured UPI address. This includes a readable username, a category-specific suffix such as @brk for brokers or @mf for mutual funds, and a unique “@valid” tag. These validated UPI handles will be issued only by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in collaboration with certified banks, making them exclusive and tamper-proof.

A Strong Response to Cybercrime

SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey stated that this initiative is a response to the alarming trend of unregistered entities duping investors through unauthorized fund collection. “This innovative mechanism is designed to boost investor confidence and protect against impersonation, deepfakes, and cyber frauds, offering a verified and secure payment channel,” he said.

In a further push for digital safety, SEBI also revealed plans to work closely with online app stores to ensure that only validated and verified payment apps are promoted to users—eliminating the risk of investors using fake or malicious platforms. Before transferring even a single rupee, make sure you’re paying the right person. The SEBI Check could be your best defense against losing money to fraud. A 10-second check could save your lifetime savings.

Read This Also: From Kitchens to Capital Markets: MTR Parent Orkla India Files for IPO