"Your Name Is In Epstein Files": IIT Hyderabad Student Tricks Tech Founder With Shocking Email

Harshdeep Rapal, the founder and CEO of Legitt AI, called out a student from IIT Hyderabad for using a highly controversial subject line to get his attention for a job application. The student sent an email with the alarming title "Your name is in Epstein Files." Upon opening the email, the first sentence read, "Hello Harshdeep, just kidding, I wanted you to open the mail." The student then introduced himself as a Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) student from IIT Hyderabad and attached his resume for a potential discussion regarding the company's "Smart Contracts Assistant."

Rapal shared a redacted screenshot of the email on social media, describing the move as unprofessional and a "shortcut" that business leaders would typically ignore. He emphasised that his company deals with serious legal contracts which require high levels of accountability and professionalism. 

"Folks, please don't do this. Take a moment to understand the context. At Legitt AI, we work in the business of contracts. It's serious work that requires accountability, ownership, and professionalism. If your very first email to me has that kind of subject line and opening message, I (and honestly, most founders or business leaders) simply won't respond," he wrote.

See the tweet here:

Folks, please don't do this.

Take a moment to understand the context. At Legitt AI, we work in the business of contracts. It's serious work that requires accountability, ownership, and professionalism. If your very first email to me has that kind of subject line and opening… pic.twitter.com/S3LsXmR9uQ

— Harshdeep Rapal | Legitt AI (@harshdeeprapal) February 12, 2026

"There's a clear difference between working on college projects and being part of a real business team. I understand that desperation can sometimes push people to take shortcuts - but this approach won't help you," he added.

The prank capitalised on a surge of news following a massive release of documents (over 3 million pages) related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. These files sparked significant online controversy, as they mentioned various high-profile Indian figures. 

Social media users were shocked by the email's subject line. One user wrote, "Some people just think they are being creative and thinking out of the box and do such immature stuff without realizing that people would be annoyed by such tricks. They think somehow such emails might be perceived as creative and they would be given an opportunity like shown in movies."

Another commented, "I am shocked at the immaturity level. With this thought process who would hire even if the candidate is the best in his hard skills. Psychology matters."

 A third said, "Even with this kind of stupidity and an act of teasing, u still ensured that his name remain hidden. This young student need to learn manners/ethics first and then professional dealing."

"Unfortunately this type of sensationalism is being normalised on social media and people think this is cool. Traditional approaches have resulted in zero reverts too  but that should not push people to take these regressive methods," added a fourth.