Delhi court tells WhatsApp Moneycontrol scammers to control themselves

NEW DELHI: If you received a WhatsApp message promising stock market riches from someone claiming to represent Moneycontrol, congratulations—you were being fleeced. The Delhi high court has now pulled the plug on a sprawling scam that hijacked the trusted financial news platform’s name to separate gullible investors from their cash, according a livelaw.in report. 

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora handed down a permanent injunction on 19 December,  ordering that several individuals be restrained from misusing the “Moneycontrol” trademark and that their WhatsApp accounts and mobile numbers stay blocked. The ruling caps a trademark infringement suit filed by Network18 Media & Investments, which runs Moneycontrol—one of India’s most popular sources for financial news, stock data, and investment information.

The con was straightforward in its audacity. Unknown individuals sent WhatsApp messages inviting recipients to join investment groups with names like “CINV The Premier Strategy Group,” promising insider stock tips and eye-watering returns. The groups had zero connection to Moneycontrol but traded shamelessly on its reputation. Unsuspecting punters, believing they were getting advice from a legitimate source, handed over substantial sums of money. They got fleeced instead.

Network18 started receiving complaints in March 2024 from confused members of the public who had been targeted by these fraudulent groups. The pattern was familiar to anyone who has spent five minutes on WhatsApp: join this exclusive group, get rich quick, send money now. The only thing exclusive about it was how thoroughly the scammers exploited Moneycontrol’s credibility.

The court was unimpressed by the defendants’ behaviour—or rather, their complete lack of it. Despite being served notice, none of the 21 individuals involved bothered to show up in court or contest the proceedings. That sort of no-show suggests either supreme confidence or the realisation that the game was up. The court went ahead anyway.

“The activities of the defendants establish a clear intention of showing a direct nexus or affiliation with the plaintiff and making a misrepresentation that its services have been licensed or approved or endorsed by the plaintiff,” Justice Arora observed. Legal-speak for: these people were pretending to be Moneycontrol, and they knew exactly what they were doing.

The court had earlier granted an interim injunction blocking the WhatsApp accounts and mobile numbers tied to the scam. Now it has made that ban permanent, with a one-year extension on the blocked numbers and a directive that they must not be reissued to the same individuals. One of the fraudulent WhatsApp groups has been permanently shut down as well.

The ruling underscores a persistent problem in India’s digital ecosystem: scammers brazenly impersonating legitimate brands on messaging platforms, counting on the fact that enforcement is patchy and victims are often too embarrassed to complain. Moneycontrol’s case is unusual only in that it reached court and resulted in a clear victory.

For Network18, the injunction is both vindication and a warning shot. Protecting a brand’s reputation in the age of WhatsApp fraud requires constant vigilance and legal firepower. For the scammers—or at least the ones daft enough to use traceable phone numbers—the message is clear: the court can and will shut you down.

As for the investors who lost money? The court order does not bring their cash back. It merely ensures that these particular fraudsters cannot keep using Moneycontrol’s name to find fresh victims. In the ruthless world of financial scams, that counts as a small mercy. Caveat emptor, as always—especially on WhatsApp.