Illegal fund-raising (according to the provisions of the Notice on Banning Illegal Financial Institutions and Illegal Financial Business Activities) refers to the behavior that a unit or individual raises funds from the public by issuing stocks, bonds, lottery tickets, investment fund securities or other creditor's rights certificates without the approval of the relevant departments in accordance with legal procedures, and promises to repay the principal and interest to investors in cash, in kind or in other ways within a certain period of time.