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In Jabalpur, popular Instagram influencer Azim Ahmed fell victim to a cyber fraud worth ₹50 lakh. The scammers threatened him with fake copyright strikes and account bans, forcing him to pay large sums to avoid losing his content. Ahmed, who has 57 million followers across 96 Instagram pages, became the target of a digital blackmail racket exploiting Instagram’s automated content system.

How the Fraud Happened

According to Hindustan Times, the scammers told Ahmed that his accounts would receive copyright strikes and could be deleted. Fearing the loss of his pages, Ahmed paid the fraudsters ₹50 lakh over multiple transactions. The scammers pretended to be mediators, demanding money to “remove the strikes.” In one instance, a caller from Pune asked for ₹25,000–₹30,000.

About Azim Ahmed

• Age: 28 years

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  Instagram: Started his first page in 2017; expanded rapidly during the 2021 COVID lockdown

• Reach: 96 Instagram pages with a total of 57 million followers

Cyber Cell Investigation

Jabalpur Cyber Cell head Neeraj Negi stated that this is the city’s first case of such large-scale fraud using fake content strikes. Authorities noted that this represents a new cybercrime trend where scammers exploit automated social media systems to blackmail creators.

Instagram Assistance

The Cyber Cell has reached out to Instagram’s internal team to investigate how these fake strikes and bans were being applied. The investigation also aims to identify the individuals orchestrating this digital blackmail racket.

This case serves as a warning to social media creators to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity immediately.

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