What does INA mean on a SEBI number?

It is the prefix for SEBI-registered investment advisers. Research analysts use INH.

Is a SEBI-registered broker allowed to give tips?

A stock broker's registration covers broking. Personal advice and paid research need the adviser or research analyst registration.

SEBI's online complaints system for complaints against registered market intermediaries and listed companies.

How to check a SEBI registered investment adviser

Ask for the SEBI registration number - INA for investment advisers, INH for research analysts - then search it yourself on SEBI's website under Intermediaries > Registered Intermediaries. Check that the name, address, phone and email on the list match the person contacting you, and pay only through a UPI ID ending in @valid that you can confirm with SEBI Check.

Checked 3 November 2026 · sources below

Step by step

Ask for the registration number. Investment advisers have numbers starting INA; research analysts start INH. No number means no paid advice.
Open SEBI's list yourself. Type sebi.gov.in into your browser, open Intermediaries, then Registered Intermediaries, and choose Investment Advisers or Research Analysts. You can search by name or registration number. Do not use a link someone sends you.
Read the entry carefully. Check the name, registration number, address, email and phone all match the person contacting you, and that the registration is still valid - not cancelled, suspended or expired. Scammers often use a real number with their own phone number.
Check how you will pay. Since 1 October 2025, SEBI-registered intermediaries can collect payments through UPI IDs ending in @valid. Use SEBI Check (on the SEBI website or the Saarthi app, SEBI's investor app) to confirm a UPI ID or bank account.
Know where to complain. Complain to the adviser first in writing. If it is not resolved within 21 days, file on SEBI's SCORES portal; unresolved disputes can then go to the Online Dispute Resolution (SMART ODR) portal. Fraud by unregistered people goes to cybercrime.gov.in or the 1930 helpline.

Investment adviser or research analyst?

An investment adviser (INA) gives personal advice based on your situation and charges a fee. A research analyst (INH) publishes research and recommendations. Both must be registered with SEBI to charge for advice. A finfluencer - a social media personality who talks about investing - with neither registration cannot legally sell you stock tips.

What a genuine adviser does

Gives you a written agreement and terms before taking a fee.
Asks about your income, goals and risk (risk profiling) before advising.
Never asks for your trading login or OTP, and never trades your account for you.

Red flags even with a real number

Payment to a personal account or a UPI ID that is not @valid.
Guaranteed or 'fixed' returns, or 'insider' tips.
Unsolicited calls or messages and pressure to pay today.
A SEBI certificate or logo sent as an image - anyone can fake one; check the list instead.
Contact only by WhatsApp or Telegram, with no office or website that matches the register.

Keep evidence

Save screenshots of chats, the payment receipts and the registration number they gave. You will need them for SCORES, your bank or the police.

Questions

What does INA mean on a SEBI number?: It is the prefix for SEBI-registered investment advisers. Research analysts use INH.
Is a SEBI-registered broker allowed to give tips?: A stock broker's registration covers broking. Personal advice and paid research need the adviser or research analyst registration.
What is SCORES?: SEBI's online complaints system for complaints against registered market intermediaries and listed companies.

Sources

Open Tip Check (free)

Someone claims SEBI registration? Paste their message and get the questions to ask.

Open Tip Check (free)