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REPORT: Elvish Yadav and Bharti Singh summoned by Delhi Police in Rs 500 crore app-based scam
As per the latest reports, Elvish Yadav and Bharti Singh have been summoned over promoting an app-based scam, busted by Delhi Police. Read to know details.
In an unexpected turn of events, Bharti Singh and Elvish Yadav were sent legal notices by the Delhi Police. According to the reports, they were summoned by the police officials for having allegedly promoted an app called Hibox. The app is said to be nothing but is used to execute investment scams that have defrauded people of Rs 500 crore, as per one of the police officials. The summons was issued after over 500 complaints were registered, stating that several social media influencers, YouTubers, and other popular personalities were influencing people to use the app.
According to police, the renowned personalities who promoted the Hibox app and lured people into investing through the app are Saurav Joshi, Abhishek Malhan (aka Fukra Insaan), Purav Jha, Elvish Yadav, Bharti Singh, Haarsh Limbachiyaa, Lakshay Choudhary, Adarsh Singh, Amit (aka Crazy XYZ), and Dilraj Singh Rawat (aka Indian hacker). All of them were issued notices.
The authorities have alleged that these celebrities used advertisements and promotional activities to entice individuals to invest in a mobile app, promising substantial returns on their investments. As of now, five out of the 10 influencers mentioned have been summoned by the IFSO. DCP (IFSO) Hemant Tiwari stated that Elvish Yadav and Bharti Singh are among the five summoned individuals, while others will be summoned in the coming days. During the questioning, the influencers will be probed about their involvement with the mobile app and the compensation they received for endorsing the brand.
Delhi Police has mentioned that over 30,000 people have been duped by using the Hibox app. The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Special Cells has arrested the main accused, named J. Sivaram. Aged 30, he is reported to be a resident of Chennai and served as a director of Hibox’s parent company, Sutrulla Express Private Limited. Police have also seized Rs 18 crore from his four bank accounts.
The Hibox smartphone application was launched in February 2024 but was developed in July 2023. A police officer said, "They (the accused) developed the backend, opened merchant accounts with Easebuzz and PhonePe, and opened front offices in Noida throughout 2023, before formally launching the app."
In April 2024, following the release of promotional videos by YouTubers and other influencers, the app introduced giving movements for investment opportunities. According to DCP Tiwari, during the initial five months, Hibox delivered impressive returns of 1% daily and 30% monthly, with a block duration of 24 hours. However, starting from the first week of July, the application began withholding payments from participants, citing various reasons such as technical glitches, GST matters, and many more.
An official stated, "All phone numbers related to the company were traced, and their CDRs of the last two years were analyzed. It was found that the owner of the company, Sivaram, constantly changed numbers and moved between Delhi and Chennai." After receiving the complaints, they raided the offices in Chennai and a few possible locations in Delhi. The main offender, Sivaram, was arrested in Delhi, just after he arrived from Chennai.
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