Madurai influencer asks for Diwali sweets, gets fake COD orders for TVs, fridges and phones worth lakhs in return; pleads, “Please stop…”
A Madurai-based social media influencer’s request for a box of Diwali sweets has turned into an ordeal involving unwanted cash-on-delivery (COD) orders for expensive electronic goods, repeated visits by delivery workers and calls from strangers. Veeramani, known for his humorous videos and use of local slang, shared his phone number and home address online hoping that followers would send him festive treats. Instead, he found himself dealing with orders for products he had never purchased, including a television reportedly worth Rs 1.69 lakh.According to a TOI report, delivery executives from Amazon and Flipkart began arriving at his home in the Anuppanadi area of Madurai with televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and smartphones. Since the orders were placed on a cash-on-delivery basis, he was expected to pay for the goods before accepting them. However, Veeramani said he had not ordered the products, could not afford them and had not provided the one-time passwords (OTPs) required to complete the deliveries. His videos sharing the experience have gone viral all over social media with netizens hilariously commenting under them.
From a request for sweets to unwanted deliveries worth lakhs
The incident began when Veeramani shared his address with followers ahead of Diwali, hoping someone would send him a box of sweets. His earlier experience with online support had been positive. As reported by TOI, he had previously asked followers to contribute towards a long-awaited trip to Kerala, and they pooled together Rs 6,000. He travelled to the state and shared videos from the trip. Encouraged by that response, he made another request for the festival. This time, however, people allegedly began using his contact details to place unwanted COD orders in his name.One of the reported orders was for a television priced at Rs 1.69 lakh. Veeramani had been receiving deliveries of expensive electronics and household appliances that he had never ordered. In videos shared on Instagram on his handle @veeramani_official91, he appealed to those responsible to stop placing the orders. As reported by the Indian Express, he said in one of his videos, “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.” The problem was not limited to the cost of the goods. Delivery workers were being sent to his home with parcels that he had not requested, leaving them to make repeated trips and deal with the confusion at the doorstep.Veeramani also expressed frustration over the workers being caught in the situation. “Why should I get scolded by them? They’re working and are unnecessarily involved. I don’t have money, I am only begging. Stop doing this,” he said in another appeal posted online.
“I fall at your feet. Please stop placing orders”
As the deliveries continued, Veeramani posted another video asking people to stop. In his appeal, he said, “I fall at your feet. Please stop placing orders.” He also described how difficult it had become to manage the situation, saying, “Whether I switch my phone off or keep it on, there’s a problem.” The unwanted orders reportedly extended beyond electronic goods. According to a TOI report, neighbours said food delivery workers from Swiggy and Zomato were also arriving at his residence with orders he had not placed.
Fake orders reportedly extend to food deliveries and bizarre online claims
Speaking to TOI, neighbours said delivery executives from Swiggy and Zomato were also turning up with food orders. Someone had also reportedly circulated Veeramani’s phone number in connection with kidney donations, leading to calls from people making enquiries. The episode took an even stranger turn on social media, where fake screenshots circulated claiming that people had ordered JCB excavators and military tanks for him, including a tank allegedly worth Rs 70 crore. Although, the claims remain claims only.
Veeramani reportedly left his home
Despite his public appeals, the unwanted deliveries and harassment reportedly continued. In another video, Veeramani said he was leaving town because people were harassing and scolding him after orders worth lakhs were placed in his name. “I’m going out of town. So many people are after me after people ordered in lakhs. They are scolding me,” he said. When TOI visited his residence in Anuppanadi, the house was locked. Neighbours reportedly said he had left after repeated delivery visits. Videos posted on social media showed him travelling on a bus, but his destination was not confirmed.
Veeramani shares another video on Instagram
In a new video shared on Instagram, Veeramani appeared to respond to the harassment with an exaggerated, sarcastic rant, mocking a public warning that portrayed him as a thief stealing sweet boxes during Diwali. A poster in Tamil carried the message, “Sweet Box Thief: Be Alert / Beware.” Reacting to it in Tamil, he said, “Hey, you stupid idiots. Which sweet box did I steal? Don’t stick the notice like this. Stick it in your mouth. Why are you doing this to me? I asked for the sweet box without knowing that it is Diwali. Why are you making me suffer for this?” He continued in a scolding tone, mock-accusing the supposed thief of running around stealing sweet boxes and warning people not to trust him. The over-the-top delivery appeared to imitate a public announcement, turning the poster’s accusation back on those targeting him.The video came amid the unwanted cash-on-delivery orders and repeated delivery visits that Veeramani had been asking people to stop.
