In a significant turn of events, popular actor Rhea Chakraborty, comedian Bharti Singh, and YouTuber Elvish Yadav have been summoned for questioning in connection with a massive ₹500 crore scam involving the HiBox mobile application. The app allegedly promised high returns on investments, luring thousands of unsuspecting users, many of whom were influenced by promotions from their favorite social media personalities.
Delhi Police launched the investigation after receiving over 500 complaints from individuals claiming they had invested in the app after viewing promotional videos from popular YouTubers and influencers. According to the police, nine prominent influencers and YouTubers have been summoned for their alleged role in promoting the app and encouraging people to invest money through it. Among those named in the probe are Bharti Singh, Harsh Limbachiya, Lakshay Choudhary, Adarsh Singh, Saurav Joshi, Abhishek Malhan, Purav Jha, Elvish Yadav, Amit Singh, and Dilraj Singh Rawat. Actor Rhea Chakraborty was also revealed to have promoted the app.
The HiBox app reportedly deceived users with promises of high returns on their investments, leading to a multi-crore scam. Many people, influenced by the promotional videos of these influencers, trusted the app and ended up losing substantial amounts of money.
In a statement addressing the issue, Easebuzz, the payment platform associated with the app, clarified its position. The company stated that it had proactively blocked the merchant in July 2024, before the police investigation began. Additionally, Easebuzz disclosed that it had filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of India and implemented its internal transaction monitoring system to block the merchant’s activities, adhering to its compliance policies.
The investigation is ongoing, and further developments are awaited as authorities continue to probe the extent of involvement of the influencers and the broader implications of the scam. This case raises critical concerns about the influence social media personalities hold over their audience and the responsibility they bear when promoting products or services.
