Madhya Pradesh Influencer 'Duped' Of Rs 50 Lakh After Cybercriminals Threaten To Ban His Accounts

In a case of digital extortion in Madhya Pradesh, a well-known influencer from Jabalpur lost Rs 50 lakh after cybercriminals allegedly blackmailed him. According to a report by NDTV, the victim, 28-year-old Azim Ahmed, manages 96 Instagram pages with a combined follower base of 57 million.

Ahmed, who began his journey as a software engineer before turning into a digital entrepreneur, built his social media network from the ground up. His first Instagram page, launched in 2017, gained significant traction during the 2021 Covid lockdown. Encouraged by its success, he later co-founded a digital marketing company, Whoopy Digital, with his friends.

However, things took a dark turn when he allegedly began receiving threats and false claims were made regarding his online content.

According to a report in Bhaskar English, in March 2022, Azeem received an email alleging one of his uploaded videos had violated copyright rules. Believing it to be spam, he ignored it initially until four consecutive “strikes” hit one of his Instagram pages with over two million followers, resulting in its suspension.

To get the account reinstated, Azeem reached out to Instagram’s support team and ended up spending between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh. Though he eventually regained access, the episode marked the start of a relentless ordeal.

“For almost a year, I have been receiving fake copyright strikes and threats. They claim my posts are their content and say if I don't pay, my accounts will be deleted,” NDTV reported Ahmed as saying.

Fearing a setback to his work, Ahmed said he repeatedly transferred money to the extortionists, which eventually totaled Rs 50 lakh. The harassment reportedly escalated over time, with the scammers even calling him and sending fake Instagram notifications. “They call themselves mediators. A caller from Pune demanded Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 to remove the fake strikes,” he said.

Ahmed has now filed a complaint with the Jabalpur Cyber Cell, though the accused are yet to be traced. Confirming the development, Jabalpur Cyber Cell in-charge Neeraj Negi said this appears to be the first case in the city where online fraudsters have extorted money using fabricated copyright claims.

“This is a new-age cybercrime trend. Fraudsters are exploiting Instagram's automated content systems. Once a user receives multiple fake strikes, their account faces suspension,” Negi explained. He added that the police are coordinating with Instagram’s internal team to determine how the fake strikes were triggered and to identify the individuals behind the operation.