A Madurai-based influencer has found himself dealing with a wave of unwanted deliveries after sharing his phone number and home address on social media in the hope of receiving Diwali sweets from his followers. What began as a festive request allegedly turned into a prank, with strangers placing cash-on-delivery (COD) orders for expensive electronics and household appliances in his name.
Veeramani said delivery executives began arriving at his home with products he had never ordered, including televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and smartphones. One television was reportedly priced at Rs 1.69 lakh.
Since the orders were placed on COD, the deliveries left him facing pressure to pay for items he had neither requested nor intended to buy. He said he could not afford the products and had not provided the one-time passwords (OTPs) required to complete the deliveries.
"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 in one video.
The pranksters allegedly went beyond household appliances, with orders also placed for a JCB excavator and military tanks, according to some claims on social media. Some neighbours reportedly said that food delivery workers from Swiggy and Zomato had also arrived at his address with orders.
As the unwanted deliveries continued, the situation became increasingly stressful for Veeramani and the delivery executives, who were being sent to his home despite having no role in the prank.
Influencer Appeals For Help
Veeramani took to Instagram to explain the situation and appeal to those responsible to stop. In one video, he expressed frustration over delivery workers being unnecessarily dragged into the matter and having to make repeated trips to his home.
He also pleaded with people to understand that he did not have the money to pay for the expensive products and urged them to stop placing fake orders.
Despite his repeated appeals, the alleged harassment continued. In a subsequent video, Veeramani said he was planning to leave town because of the trouble caused by the unwanted deliveries. "I'm going out of town. So many people are after me after people ordered in lakhs. They are scolding me," he said.
The incident reportedly extended beyond fake shopping orders. Veeramani also said 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 place unsolicited orders using his address, as the prank continues to affect him and the delivery workers sent to his home.
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