Rajasthan man held in social media influencers fraud case

The Mumbai police's crime branch nabbed a 21-year-old IT professional from Rajasthan for his alleged involvement in the social media marketing influencers fraud case, an official said on Saturday.

The SIT arrested Vijay Banthia, a resident of Jodhpur, on Thursday and brought to the city on transit remand, the official said.

Banthia was operating several portals that provided fake followers, views, subscribers, likes to profiles on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter etc, he said.

The accused had allegedly completed approximately 9,000 orders and supplied lakhs of followers, views and likes, the official said, adding that his payments were unearthed by the police while investigating another arrested accused Kashif Tanwar.

The SIT has so far identified 79 portals engaged in supply of fake followers, views and likes, he said.

Banthia was produced before a court that has sent him to crime branch custody September 21, the official said.

Earlier, the SIT had questioned Bollywood rapper Badshah in connection with the case and recorded the statement of digital media marketing company Qyuki's COO and two employees in this connection. 

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