Nomura said on Monday that certain unknown persons and entities claiming to be a part of the foreign firm were illegally soliciting services regarding trade in cryptocurrencies or their derivatives through online platforms in India, including Whatsapp groups.

“Based on the limited information available to us, we believe that the activities being undertaken by the person/s or entity/s purporting to be part of Nomura are illegal and fraudulent, and also deeply undermine and tarnish the goodwill and reputation of Nomura. These activities are being reported to the relevant authorities for necessary action,” Nomura wrote in a note.

The firm urged investors to be cautious and vigilant about the issue and to be watchful of such unscrupulous entities impersonating Nomura.

“If you receive unsolicited communications relating to Nomura, we recommend that you contact us directly via our feedback link (https://www.nomuraholdings.com/cgi-bin/feedback.cgi) to authenticate the content of any such communication,” Nomura said.

The firm also said that it was recommended that individuals not make any payments without ascertaining the legitimacy of the transaction or provide any personal information or data to unknown entities.

It also warned against replying to suspicious emails or texts or opening website links or attachments regarding the matter.

Nomura has already circulated similar internal warnings to its investors and Monday’s release is meant to warn the larger public.