An Indian social media influencer has reportedly been forced to leave his home in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, after a request for Diwali sweets triggered a wave of fake cash-on-delivery (COD) orders for expensive household items.
Veeramani Shanmuganathan had shared his phone number and home address on Instagram, hoping followers would send him festive treats. However, he said pranksters used the information to place orders in his name, leaving him facing repeated deliveries for goods he had not requested.
The unwanted orders reportedly included televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, smartphones and other expensive items. One television was said to cost Sh232,412 (Rs 1.69 lakh).
Because the orders were placed on COD, Veeramani was expected to pay for the items upon delivery, despite having never ordered them.
In a video shared online, he said 15 orders arrived within just 30 minutes, pleading with those behind the prank to stop.
“Why are you guys doing this? The delivery boys are coming from long distances. Stop doing this. Fifteen orders came in half an hour, and I don’t have money for all of that,” he said.
He also expressed concern for delivery workers who were being caught up in the harassment.
“Why should I get scolded by them? They’re working and are unnecessarily involved. I don’t have money, I am only begging. Stop doing this,” he added.
As the orders continued, Veeramani said he had decided to leave Madurai because of the harassment.
“I’m going out of town. So many people are after me after people ordered in lakhs. They are scolding me,” he said in another video.
His wife, Sumangali, later said the family had endured severe mental distress and that their landlord had asked them to vacate the house.
“After that, people started placing multiple COD orders in his name, causing us severe mental distress. Delivery personnel from Amazon, Flipkart and other companies kept arriving at our home. To prevent the issue from escalating, we left the town,” she said.
She urged social media users to stop placing fake orders and warned against sharing personal information publicly.
“I request everyone to stop placing COD orders at our address and avoid publicly sharing home addresses and phone numbers on social media,” she added.
The prank also spawned fake online claims that a Rs 70-crore T-90 military tank, an ambulance and a rocket had been ordered to Veeramani’s address. However, reports did not confirm that any of these items had actually been sent.
The incident also highlighted the impact of fake orders on delivery workers, who lose time, fuel and income when customers refuse or are unable to pay for goods they never requested. They urged people to stop using such pranks for online entertainment.
The episode later took a positive turn when food delivery platform Swiggy Instamart sent Veeramani genuine Diwali sweets and gifts, without requiring payment.