Influencer pays ₹50L to avoid copyright strike on Instagram
Azim Ahmed, a Jabalpur-based influencer with 57 million followers across 96 Instagram pages, was targeted by cybercriminals who threatened to get his accounts banned using fake copyright strikes.
To keep his pages safe, Ahmed ended up paying them a massive ₹50 lakh.
He started out in 2017, gained explosive traction during the Covid lockdown in 2021, and even launched Whoopy Digital with friends along the way.
Cyber Cell is now on the case
The threats came through relentless calls and emails, pushing Ahmed to give in.
The Jabalpur Cyber Cell, led by Neeraj Negi, is now on the case and working with Instagram to track down those behind the scam.
The incident highlights how automated systems can be misused and why stronger digital safety for creators is more important than ever.