Boom boom… doom! Beware of fake Diwali offers flying around like rockets

An iPhone Pro Max for Rs 1,999!When Amit Kumar Mishra, a factory worker from Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur, saw this offer on "Flipkart", he couldn't believe his eyes: It was the most outrageous "Diwali Dhamaka" offer he’d ever seen. Normally, he’d be suspicious. But this "grab-before-it's-gone" offer came from a trusted friend.No crackers for guessing what happened next: the boom became a bust the moment he pressed "pay" on his humble smartphone. Amit Kumar Mishra. (Photo: Instagram) An elderly woman in Noida was scrolling through Instagram Reels when she came across an ad offering “three steel pressure cookers for 499”. What a perfect gift for her maid, she thought. It would make her whistle with joy this Diwali. Fortunately for her, she decided to brag about this stellar find to her daughter, who immediately realised it was a scam and flipped her cart empty!Both fake offers came from fake apps — clones of the original in looks alone. India Today Fact Check found at least 25 fake Meesho apps and two fake Flipkart apps.WHAT’S IN A NAME? These fake apps are smart. They use actual brand logos, but choose a name that’s close enough. The fake Flipkart apps we found were called “Flapart” and “Flaxart”. So, always keep an eye out.TOO GOOD TO BE TRUETrust your gut. No one is selling iPhones for Rs 699. No one is giving away Skechers shoes for Rs 399. If you see a 90 per cent discount, there’s a 99 per cent chance it's a scam.Also, these fake apps are lazy. Descriptions rarely match the products.FAKE COD PROMISES“Cash on Delivery” is usually good insulation against scams. And these apps promise that option — but only until you reach checkout. Then they force you to pay via UPI.Here’s a handy tip: If a UPI QR code reveals individual names instead of a merchant account, that’s a red flag.REVIEW THE REVIEWSProducts on these fake apps boast thousands of good reviews. Try to read them, and you won’t find more than ten. And even then, they’re usually the same couple of accounts posting the same "good" reviews for everything.IMPOSSIBLE DELIVERY DATESReviews of these apps on Google Play point to something funny: One buyer who placed an order on October 10 was given a delivery date for August 27. So, either these apps are fake, or they have time machines.ADS, ADS, AND MORE ADSScammers have spent thousands on Facebook to advertise these fake apps. We found custom ads targeted across regions in Bengali, Kannada, and Tamil.Thankfully, as of October 28, Meta had removed several of these promotional ads for violating its Advertising Standards. But many others are still up.SCAMS GALOREDelhi police arrested seven people from Greater Noida on October 26 for cyber fraud worth Rs 30 crore. How did they get caught? A Delhi University student ordering a kurti worth Rs 799 was scammed out of Rs 6,450. Her complaint uncovered the racket.So, next time you see three pressure cookers on sale for Rs 499, don't stop to look. Just whistle past.- Ends