Sebi asks brokers to inform clients on website to update details

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked stock brokers to use their websites to inform clients on updation of email addresses and mobile numbers.

The directive comes after recent instructions to the trading members to obtain and update the mobile numbers and email addresses of their clients who have transacted during 2014-15, in UCC (Unique Client Code) database, by September 30.

For this purpose, capital market regulator Sebi has advised that trading members having their own websites should display on their websites a ticker message for their clients, a Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) circular said.

Such a message would have to remain on the website of the members, on permanent basis, at the prominent place, it added.

Brokers have been asked to display the message, "Prevent Unauthorised transactions in your account. Update your mobile numbers/email IDs with your stock brokers. Receive information of your transactions directly from (the) Exchange on your mobile/email at the end of the day... Issued in the interest of investors."

In a separate circular, BSE said that in case certain investors did not have mobile numbers/ email IDs or did not wish to provide the same, the trading members would have to report such cases to the bourses.

The trading member is required to report such cases through 'notprovided@notprovided.com' in the email address field and '6666666666' in the mobile number field.

A similar message was earlier disseminated by the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Recently, stock exchanges - BSE and NSE - had asked their trading members to obtain and update mobile number and email address of their clients by August 19. However, it was extended to September 30.

With an aim to reduce the number of investor complaints relating to unauthorised trading and to safeguard members' own interest, stock exchanges provide details of the transactions to all investors through mails and SMSes whose email address and mobile numbers are updated by the trading members in UCC (Unique Client Code) online.

In 2012, Sebi had asked exchanges to send SMS/email alerts to every retail investor for all transactions in their names in a day.

The move followed complaints against brokers and other market entities conducting transactions through accounts of their clients without the knowledge of the investor concerned.

The market regulator had first proposed such a facility to alert investors about trades being conducted in their accounts in August 2011.