Popular Instagram Influencer with 57 Million Followers Loses Rs 50 Lakh in Digital Extortion Scam

A Jabalpur-based social media influencer reported that cybercriminals threatened to "strike" and "ban" his accounts if he didn't pay them.

Bhopal:

In an unprecedented cybercrime case in Jabalpur, a prominent Instagram creator from Madhya Pradesh has become the victim of a sophisticated digital extortion scheme.

Azim Ahmed, a 28-year-old social media influencer with an impressive following of 57 million across 96 Instagram pages, has reportedly lost Rs 50 lakh to cybercriminals who systematically threatened to "strike" and "ban" his valuable social media accounts.

Despite filing a formal complaint with the Jabalpur Cyber Cell, authorities have not yet apprehended the perpetrators of this digital extortion scheme.

Ahmed, who transitioned from software engineering to digital entrepreneurship, built his substantial online presence from the ground up. His digital journey began in 2017 with a single Instagram page that experienced explosive growth during the 2021 Covid lockdown. This success enabled him to establish Whoopy Digital, a digital marketing venture, alongside his colleagues.

However, his digital success has recently brought significant distress. "I've been receiving fake copyright strikes and threats for approximately a year now. These individuals falsely claim ownership of my content and threaten to have my accounts deleted unless I make payments," Ahmed explained.

Concerned about potentially losing his established online presence and primary source of income, Ahmed admitted to making multiple payments to the extortionists, eventually totaling Rs 50 lakh over time.

The influencer revealed that the threats escalated to include phone calls and fraudulent "Instagram strike" emails. "They present themselves as mediators. One caller from Pune demanded between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 to remove the fake strikes," Ahmed disclosed.

Neeraj Negi, the officer in charge at Jabalpur Cyber Cell, confirmed this case represents the first reported instance in the city where criminals have extorted money through "fake content strike" threats.

"This represents an emerging cybercrime trend. The perpetrators are manipulating Instagram's automated content monitoring systems. When users receive multiple fraudulent strikes, their accounts face potential suspension," Negi explained.

"We're currently establishing communication with Instagram's internal security team to investigate how these fake bans are being initiated and to identify those responsible," he added.