ICAI Himachal warns public of fraudulent CA-like services
The Himachal Pradesh Branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has issued a public advisory warning citizens about unqualified individuals misrepresenting themselves as offering Chartered Accountant (CA)-equivalent services.
This follows a case in Sundernagar, where a person allegedly used falsified credentials of local CAs to issue unauthorised audit reports and financial certifications, deceiving clients and government entities. Even educated individuals, such as a school principal, were reportedly misled by the accused, who created an impression of expertise without directly claiming to be a CA.
CA Naresh Vashisht, Chairman of the ICAI Himachal Pradesh Branch, urged citizens to remain vigilant when engaging financial service providers. He noted that some individuals use misleading titles, seals, and promotional tactics to imply CA-level expertise, often adopting terms like “Consultant,” “Commercial Accountant”, “Associate Professional Accountant”, or “Industrial Accountant” to suggest authority without the necessary qualifications.
“These unqualified individuals promote services like balance-sheet preparation, tax filings, and project certifications, which they are not authorised to handle. This risks document rejection by banks and government agencies and legal consequences for clients,” Vashisht cautioned.
He highlighted that CAs adhere to ICAI’s strict guidelines, avoiding promotional statements and using only the “Chartered Accountant” designation alongside their firm name and CA logo. In contrast, unqualified practitioners often claim a wide range of services and use “Udyam Registration” numbers to falsely imply Central Government authorisation. They may also use franchise-style names to mislead the public into believing they are CA-qualified.
To safeguard the public, Vashisht reiterated ICAI’s request to the state government to implement mandatory UDIN (Unique Document Identification Number) verification for all CA-certified documents. This verification, he explained, would ensure only documents prepared by qualified CAs are accepted by government offices.
The ICAI strongly advises the public to directly consult qualified CAs for any CA-certified documents, such as audit reports, balance sheets, or certifications, and to verify the CA’s identity and the authenticity of documents by checking the UDIN on ICAI’s official portal.
