Why You Should Never Share Your Address Online: Lessons From the Madurai Influencer's Diwali Nightmare
A simple request for Diwali sweets turned into one of the internet's biggest pranks, and a lesson every social media user should learn. What happened Madurai-based Instagram influencer Veeramani, known for humorous Tamil content, posted a video before Diwali asking followers to send him a box of sweets, and shared his address and phone number. At first, kind followers did send sweets. Then things went wrong. Pranksters used his address to place a flood of cash-on-delivery orders, and Amazon and Flipkart agents arrived with washing machines, refrigerators, smartphones and televisions, including one TV priced at Rs 1.69 lakh. In one video, he said he received 15 deliveries in half an hour and pleaded with people to stop, saying he couldn't pay for any of it. He later said he planned to leave town until the harassment stopped, and that strangers had even used his phone number to sign up for organ donation registries. Why this is more serious than a prank It's easy to laugh, bu...