10 prominent influencers have reportedly received legal notices related for their association with the Hibox Scam. Hibox is a mobile application that lured people to invest money and promised them guaranteed returns. Apparently the scam has resulted in a 500 crore fraud. The influencers who have been issued noticed for promoting Hibox scam are popular social media faces like Rhea Chakraborty, Saurav Joshi, Abhishek Malhan, Purav Jha, Elvish Yadav, Bharti Singh, Harsh Limbachiya, Lakshay Choudhary, Adarsh Singh and Dilraj Singh Rawat.
The main accused who was also a company registrant has been arrested by the Delhi Police. The app promised users thrilling mystery box shopping experiences and guaranteed luring investment returns. According to reports, 30,000 people have been duped by the company so far.
The legal notices received by the influencers serve as formal warnings, indicating they may be held liable for their promotional activities. Scams like these get us thinking, influencers with their massive following have become a powerful force in marketing, but it often blurs the lines between personal endorsement and professional promotion. The same influencers who have built a niche for themselves through their authenticity often end up promoting brands and products that could be harmful for their audience. They are paid hefty amounts for promoting brands like the Hibox App or several other betting apps which are openly being promoted and advertised on social media and television resulting in common people blindly following them and losing their hard earned money.
It also raises a question on the thought process of the audience. Elvish Yadav has time and again been involved in multiple controversies like the NEET scam or the alleged use of snake venom as recreational drugs at parties they hosted, as well as related financial transactions yet he seems to have a strong social media community that blindly follows him regardless of anything.
The scam has sparked a wider conversation about the importance of vetting brands and platforms before endorsing them, emphasising that utmost diligence is essential in maintaining your own authenticity as an influencer or content creator.
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