Barmer police arrested social media influencer Ugraram on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding people of crores of rupees through fake iPhone pre-booking schemes. Known for his large follower base, Ugraram allegedly lured users by posting videos promising iPhones at extremely low prices and charged Rs 500–1,000 per pre-booking.
To gain trust, the accused issued receipts and posted videos claiming iPhone distributions, while delaying actual delivery. Police revealed this was the fourth such scam, with 1,500–2,000 victims participating each time.
The fraud came to light when Banshilal, a resident of Shiv Ramderia Jiyanion Ki Basti, filed a complaint on September 16, revealing that he had paid Rs 500 after seeing Ugraram’s video, only to learn that the influencer had been defrauding people for years.
During interrogation, Ugraram admitted that in one scheme alone, 1,900 people paid Rs 1,000 each. Some victims received iPhones or watches to maintain credibility. He also claimed to have traveled to Dubai for work with a water testing company, which police are verifying.
Earlier, Ugraram ran mobile shops in Balotra and Barmer city before moving to social media scams post-COVID-19. Authorities are currently tracing his financial transactions and identifying additional victims.
