00
Days
00
Hrs
00
Min
00
Sec
Submit Your Paper

“The Evolution of Investment Scams: Selected Comparative Case Studies on Traditional Frauds and Digital-Era Vulnerabilities”

Authors

Sumuna Lama

Department of Commerce, Gurudas College, Kolkata-700054 (IN)

Article Information

DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2025.1410000169

Subject Category: Accounting & Finance

Volume/Issue: 14/10 | Page No: 1435-1440

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2025-11-28

Published: 2025-11-28

Abstract

Abstract: This paper explores how investment scams in India have evolved from traditional schemes to modern online frauds utilizing digital platforms and social media. It compares the operational methods of past and current investment scams and explains the reasons behind this shift, including digital expansion and easier access to online investment opportunities. Based on secondary data from academic journals, reputable news sources, and government reports, the study uses a case-based comparative approach. It emphasizes the need for stronger regulation, better financial literacy, and increased investor awareness to safeguard individuals from financial fraud in the digital age. Overall, the analysis demonstrates that although scam methods have changed, ongoing gaps in regulation and investor awareness still facilitate investment scams.

Keywords

Investment scams, India, traditional investment schemes, online fraud, digital platforms

Downloads

References

1. Fisher, K. (2015). The psychology of fraud: What motivates fraudsters to commit crime? SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2596825 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Engels, C., Kumar, K., & Philip, D. (2021). Financial literacy and fraud detection. In Financial literacy and responsible Finance in the FinTech Era (pp. 124-146). Routledge. International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 240 (Revised) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Madhavan, B., Kalabaskar, N. (2024). Digital Forensic Investigation on Ponzi Schemes. In: Patel, S.J., Chaudhary, N.K., Gohil, B.N., Iyengar, S.S. (eds) Information Security, Privacy and Digital Forensics. ICISPD 2022. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 1075. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5091-1_14 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. India Code: Chit Funds Act, 1982 https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/21348/1/the_chit_funds_act%2C_1982.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Prema, E., Sundar, V.S. (2023). The Regulatory Landscapes of Ponzi Schemes in India: With Special Reference to the State of Tamil Nadu. In: Gupta, C.M. (eds) Financial Crimes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29090-9_13 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Carey, C., & Webb, J. K. (2017). Ponzi schemes and the roles of trust creation and maintenance. Journal of Financial Crime, 24(4), 589–600. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-06-2016-0042 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Subhash, K. S., Sandhya, M., Uddhav, T. A., & Kiran, T (2024). " The Rise of Social Media-Driven Stock Market Investment Scams: Analysing Financial Fraud in The Age of Social Media. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Jain, J., & Ohalehi, P. (2018). Why people fall prey to Ponzi schemes: an analysis of attitudes, behaviours, demographics and motivations of victims in India. Behaviours, Demographics and Motivations of Victims in India (September 20, 2018). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Kolupuri, S. V. J., Paul, A., Bhowmick, R. S., & Ganguli, I. (2025, January). Scams and frauds in the digital age: ML-based detection and prevention strategies. In Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Distributed Computing and Networking (pp. 340-345). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Dewi, I. O., & Wahyudi, I. (2025). The Evolution of Ponzi Schemes: From Traditional Frauds to Digital Money Games. Journal of Auditing, Finance, and Forensic Accounting, 13(1), 41-66. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Akshaya, R., & Devadharshini, V. V. (2025). A study on forensic accounting and legal investigation in fraud cases in India. International Journal for Legal Research & Analysis. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saradha_Group_financial_scandal [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Lawful Legal: https://lawfullegal.in/saradha-chit-fund-scam-analysis/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. India Today: SFIO report exposes Saradha Group Ponzi schemes. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/saradha-group-ponzi-schemes-sfio-investigation-292583-2014-09-15 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Valley_financial_scandal [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. India Today: Rose Valley chit fund scam: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/east/story/rose-valley-group-gautam-kundu-arrested-ed-ponzi-scam-245982-2015-03-26 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. The Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/restitution-of-funds-over-7000-duped-rose-valley-investors-get-10200-each-9604368/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. ISFM: https://isfm.co.in/the-pacl-scam/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/over-19-lakh-pacl-investors-get-their-money-back-sebi/articleshow/100077581.cms?from=mdr [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. IICA: https://iica.nic.in/images/GainBitcoin_Cryptocurrency-Scam.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. https://enforcementdirectorate.gov.in/sites/default/files/latestnews/Press%20Release%20-Bitcoin%20Scam%20-%2026.02.2024.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. The Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/crypto/indian-investors-duped-of-rs-1000-crore-to-fake-crypto-exchanges-7982389/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. NDTV. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rs-22-000-crore-online-trading-scam-busted-in-assam-chief-minister-issues-warning-6485994 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/4-held-in-kolkata-for-duping-visva-bharati-student-in-crypto-scam-leading-to-suicide/articleshow/113582147.cms [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. The Economic Times. https://m.economictimes.com/markets/stocks/news/hyderabad-man-duped-of-rs-70-lakh-in-fake-zerodha-trading-scam/amp_articleshow/121619415.cms [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/cities/pune/story/pune-online-share-trading-scam-it-professional-duped-crores-fake-investment-app-duped-2802114-2025-10-13 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. SEBI Report 2024-25 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. RBI Report on Financial Inclusion 2019-24 https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/Upload/English/Content/PDFs/English_16042021.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

Metrics

Views & Downloads

Similar Articles

© 2026 IJLTEMAS · RSIS International. All rights reserved. ISSN 2278-2540.