India
Madurai Influencer Receives Expensive Delivery Pranks, Demands Stop
Veeramani, a Madurai social‑media influencer known for his humour, received a series of expensive items delivered to his home on a cash‑on‑delivery basis. The prank began after he posted his contact number and address on social media, asking followers to send him sweets for Diwali. Instead, followers placed orders in his name for appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, smartphones and a television worth ₹1.69 lakh. Veeramani had not ordered any of the goods and could not pay for them or provide the one‑time passwords requested by delivery personnel. Delivery workers from Amazon and Flipkart repeatedly arrived with the items.
The harassment extended beyond electronics. Neighbours reported that food‑delivery platforms Swiggy and Zomato also sent orders to his address that he never placed. Some pranksters went further, circulating screenshots of fictitious orders for a JCB excavator and a military tank allegedly worth ₹70 crore. In another incident, someone shared Veeramani’s phone number in connection with kidney donations, prompting inquiries about organ donation.
In videos posted by Veeramani, he pleaded with the pranksters, saying, “I fall at your feet. Please stop placing orders,” and explained the difficulty of managing the situation. He later said he was considering leaving town because people were confronting and scolding him over the expensive orders placed in his name.
Veeramani’s earlier request for a trip to Kerala had been successful; followers contributed ₹60,000 to help him fulfil that wish. The incident highlights the risks of sharing personal contact details on social media.
The story was reported by the Times of India.