Rs 1.69 lakh TV, phones: Why a Madurai man is flooded with fake COD orders

Madurai influencer seeks help after fake COD orders (Photo: @veeramani_121/Instagram)

A Madurai-based social media influencer has allegedly been targeted with a series of cash-on-delivery (COD) orders after sharing his phone number and home address on social media, hoping to receive Diwali sweets from his followers.

The festive request took an unexpected turn, with strangers placing orders for expensive electronics and household appliances in his name.

Madurai influencer’s COD ordeal

The influencer, identified as Veeramani, said in a video that delivery executives began arriving at his home with products he had never ordered, including televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and smartphones. One of the televisions was worth Rs 1.69 lakh.

Since the orders were placed on a COD basis, Veeramani was pressured to pay for the products. He said he could not afford the expensive items and had not shared the one-time passwords needed to complete the deliveries.

In a video shared on Instagram, Veeramani appealed to his followers to stop placing fake orders. “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.

Some neighbours reportedly said that food delivery executives from Swiggy and Zomato had also arrived at his address with unsolicited orders.

Veeramani took to Instagram to explain the situation and express concern over delivery partners being forced to make repeated trips to his home. He urged people to consider the inconvenience caused to the delivery executives and stop placing orders using his personal details.

Despite his repeated appeals, the alleged harassment continued. In another video, Veeramani said he was planning to leave town because of the trouble caused by the fake orders and the backlash he was facing.

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“I’m going out of town. So many people are after me after people ordered in lakhs. They are scolding me,” he said.

Veeramani also claimed that he had received calls from people enquiring about kidney donations after someone allegedly used his phone number for that purpose. He has since urged people not to misuse his phone number and home address to place unsolicited orders.