A bizarre scam inspired by social media prank videos has surfaced in Salem district of Tamil Nadu, leaving local authorities and residents stunned. A 39-year-old man masquerading as a senior Tahsildar from the Attur taluk revenue department duped villagers by fabricating a deadly contagious health scare. By promising fake government financial incentives, he convinced nearly 20 women to prepare for tonsuring their heads. Trusting his official tone, three elderly women immediately visited a local barber shop to shave their hair off, only to realize later that they had fallen victim to a fraudulent hoax when the promised money failed to arrive.
The Fabricated Health Alert and Cash Incentives
Police investigations revealed that the perpetrator initially contacted a resident of Attur taluk over a phone call, identifying himself as an authorized government revenue official. He convinced the woman that a dangerous viral infection originating from abroad had begun spreading in their local vicinity. To instill panic, he claimed that the contagion transmitted specifically through human hair. He further asserted that to contain the outbreak, the state administration had launched an emergency sanitation drive offering substantial cash rewards to individuals who shaved their heads.
The fraudster outlined a lucrative payout structure, offering ₹15,000 for women, ₹6,000 for men, and ₹45,000 for college students who agreed to tonsure their hair. To create artificial urgency, he lied that only 18 official tokens had been sanctioned for the entire taluk. To establish credibility and eliminate doubts, he transmitted photos via WhatsApp showing tonsured women alongside bundles of ₹500 currency notes, creating a false impression that several residents had already received government payouts.
Tonsuring of Senior Citizens and Uncovering the Hoax
Believing the scheme to be a genuine welfare initiative, the contacted woman persuaded approximately 20 females in her neighborhood to join the drive. Motivated by the financial reward, three senior citizens, identified as 63-year-old Chitra, 62-year-old Ramayi, and 64-year-old Kaveri, visited a local salon without delay and tonsured their heads. Several other women were lined up, awaiting their turn to undergo the procedure.
However, suspicion arose after several days elapsed without any monetary funds credited to their bank accounts. When the victims attempted to call the imposter, his mobile phone was continuously switched off. Realizing something was amiss, the women marched to the Attur Taluk Office to inquire directly. Revenue officials clarified that no such government welfare scheme, disease advisory, or head-tonsuring compensation program had ever been launched or authorized by the administration.
Instagram Prank Influence and Police Investigation
Following the revelation of the fraud, the aggrieved women lodged an official complaint with the local police. Utilizing technical intelligence, law enforcement officers tracked down and arrested 39-year-old Satishkumar, a resident of Jayankondam taluk in Ariyalur district. During interrogation, Satishkumar confessed that he was heavily influenced by viral prank videos on Instagram and wanted to execute similar pranks on unsuspecting people in real life.
According to police sources, his modus operandi involved placing random phone calls to unknown individuals, gathering personal information during conversations, tricking victims with false commitments, and subsequently turning off his mobile device. Authorities are currently investigating whether Satishkumar targeted victims in neighboring districts using similar deceptive tactics. The real-life incident closely mirrors a popular comedic sequence from the Tamil movie Siruthai, where characters played by actor Karthi and comedian Santhanam mislead people into tonsuring their heads for money.
