The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Mumbai crime branch has arrested a 45-year-old man on Tuesday for allegedly operating several portals that provide fake followers. The accused is identified as Premendra Sharma, a resident of Mira Road.
According to the police, Sharma was operating several portals that provide fake followers, views, subscribers, likes to profiles on various social media platforms. The SIT suspected Sharma to have completed 25,000 orders and his payment transactions were reflected in the investigation of Kashif Tanwar who was arrested earlier in the case, said a crime branch officer.
Sharma had been operating through several such portals such as www.yoyomedia.co.in, www.blowsmm.com said a crime branch officer.
The SIT which is investigating the Social Media Marketing (SMM) Influencers fraud since July has so far identified 79 portals which provide influencers services to their clients to boost their social media presence.
The scam came to light in the second week of July when a singer approached Mumbai police and complaint about her fake profile on a popular photo-sharing site.
The crime branch has already questioned several Bollywood celebrities including rapper Aditya Sisodia popularly known as Badshah and actress Koena Mitra in connection with the case.
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