Are stock tips provided over calls or social media reliable?

Generally, no, and SEBI has repeatedly and specifically flagged unsolicited stock tips shared over phone calls, WhatsApp groups, Telegram channels, and social media as one of the most common vectors for market fraud targeting retail investors. Legitimate research and investment advice in India can only be provided by SEBI-registered Research Analysts (RAs) or Investment Advisers (IAs), and any tip provider should be verifiable against SEBI’s registered intermediary database before you give their recommendation any weight at all. A common pattern behind fraudulent tips involves pump-and-dump schemes, where a group artificially drives up interest and price in a low-liquidity stock through coordinated tips, then sells into the resulting demand, leaving late followers holding the loss. Even when a tip comes from someone claiming credentials or past success, you verify their actual SEBI registration status independently rather than taking their word for it, since impersonation of legitimate-sounding advisers is itself a common tactic.