The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced two new digital initiatives — Validated UPI Handles and SEBI Check — to make stock market payments safer and protect investors from fraud.
With these measures, investors can now easily identify genuine payment channels and avoid falling victim to scams.
What Are Validated UPI Handles?
Under this system, SEBI-registered brokers and mutual funds will operate through a unique “@valid” UPI handle, issued by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Brokers’ handles will end with “.brk”, and mutual funds with “.mf”.
During transactions, investors will notice a thumbs-up icon inside a green triangle and a special QR code, confirming authenticity.
SEBI says over 90% of major brokers and all mutual funds have already adopted this system, making payments more secure and reliable.
How SEBI Check Works
To further ensure safety, SEBI has launched SEBI Check, a verification tool that allows investors to confirm bank account details and UPI IDs of intermediaries before transferring funds.
Verification can be done using:
Account numbers and IFSC codes
The @valid UPI ID
Investors can access SEBI Check through the regulator’s Saarthi mobile app or the online platform, helping prevent unauthorized money transfers.
Key Benefits for Investors
SEBI highlights three main advantages of these new tools:
Stronger Security – Payments can only be made through verified intermediaries.
Instant Fraud Alerts – Missing thumbs-up cues indicate potential risks.
Greater Transparency – Investors can confidently carry out digital transactions.
Industry experts say these initiatives act as a digital firewall against unregistered entities, creating a safe, gated payment ecosystem in India’s capital markets.
These steps by SEBI make stock market transactions safer and give investors more confidence in digital payments, reducing the risk of fraud in India’s fast-growing investment sector.
