Gujarat Police arrest two in ₹2.54 crore Instagram distributor scam
Synopsis
A fake Instagram ad for 'Myer Holding Limited' lured a complainant into depositing over ₹2.54 crore through a fabricated distributor scheme — with the fraudsters piling on fees to unfreeze accounts, fix credit scores, and even shut the store down. Gujarat Police's arrest of two men from Savarkundla has exposed a network tied to 34 cybercrime complaints across 13 states.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat Police's Cyber Centre of Excellence arrested Kishan Savabaliya , 30, and Haja Rathod , 32, both from Savarkundla , Amreli district .
The complainant was defrauded of ₹2,53,91,066 through a fake Instagram ad for Myer Holding Limited and a fraudulent distributor scheme.
The accused's bank accounts are linked to 34 cybercrime complaints across 13 states , with 11 FIRs registered.
Financial transactions exceeding ₹25 lakh were recorded in the recovered accounts.
Two mobile phones and a cheque book were seized; other accused remain at large.
Gujarat Police's Cyber Centre of Excellence has arrested two men from Savarkundla in Amreli district for allegedly defrauding a complainant of ₹2,53,91,066 through a fake company advertisement on Instagram and a fraudulent online distributor scheme. Bank accounts linked to the accused have surfaced in 34 cybercrime complaints across 13 states, with 11 FIRs already registered.
How the Scam Unfolded
The accused allegedly lured the complainant through an Instagram advertisement promoting Myer Holding Limited, directing him to the website shopmyerinr.com and asking him to register as a distributor. He was instructed to list products — including clothing, furniture, and electrical and electronic goods — on the company's online platform.
The complainant was then asked to deposit 80 per cent of the product value into various bank accounts provided by the company's purported customer service. In return, he was shown a 20 per cent profit in dollars credited to an online wallet. Initial bulk orders gave the scheme an air of legitimacy, keeping the complainant engaged.
Escalating Demands and a Second Website
When the complainant could not meet a surge in order volumes, the fraudsters allegedly threatened to freeze his store within 48 hours, claiming the company had been taken over. He was subsequently redirected to a second website, www.storenviy.com, with info@store-nviy.com as the contact email.
A cascade of fabricated charges followed — fees to unfreeze his account, repair his credit score, and withdraw his wallet balance. He was also told to pay a currency-conversion charge because his wallet had allegedly exceeded USD 2,50,000. Even when he sought to shut down the store, additional closure fees were demanded.
Accused Identified, Devices Seized
Police identified the arrested men as Kishan Savabaliya, 30, of Savarkundla taluka, and Haja Rathod, 32, of Friend Society near Kanakia College in Savarkundla. According to investigators, Savabaliya was the bank account holder, while Rathod allegedly sourced the account details used in the offence and passed them to other accused who remain at large.
Two mobile phones and a cheque book were seized from the arrested men. Financial transactions exceeding ₹25 lakh were recorded in the recovered accounts.
Complaints Spanning 13 States
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) flagged 34 complaints linked to the accused's accounts, spanning Gujarat (4), Telangana (7), Maharashtra (7), Karnataka (5), West Bengal (2), and one each from Kerala, Haryana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu. Of these, 11 FIRs have been registered across multiple states.
This case is part of a growing pattern of Instagram-based investment and distributor frauds targeting middle-income individuals with promises of dollar-denominated returns. Further investigation is underway, with other accused yet to be arrested.
Point of View
Not a two-man operation. Gujarat Police's Cyber Centre of Excellence has made the arrests, but the masterminds who supplied the accounts and ran the fake websites remain unidentified. Until the full network is mapped, similar Instagram distributor frauds will keep finding new victims.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Gujarat Instagram distributor fraud case?
Gujarat Police arrested two men from Savarkundla, Amreli district, for allegedly defrauding a complainant of ₹2,53,91,066 through a fake Instagram advertisement for Myer Holding Limited and a fraudulent online distributor scheme. The accused directed the victim to bogus websites and extracted money through a series of fabricated charges.
Who are the accused arrested in the Gujarat cyber fraud case?
The arrested men are Kishan Savabaliya, 30, of Savarkundla taluka, and Haja Rathod, 32, of Friend Society near Kanakia College in Savarkundla. Savabaliya was the bank account holder, while Rathod allegedly sourced and supplied account details to other accused who are yet to be arrested.
How many states are linked to this cyber fraud case?
Bank accounts recovered from the accused are linked to 34 cybercrime complaints spanning 13 states, including Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and West Bengal, among others. Eleven FIRs have been registered across these states.
How did the Instagram distributor scam work?
Victims were approached via an Instagram ad for Myer Holding Limited and directed to a website to register as distributors. They were asked to deposit 80 per cent of product values into bank accounts, shown dollar-denominated profits in an online wallet, and then subjected to escalating fees — to unfreeze accounts, repair credit scores, convert currency, and even close the store — until they had deposited large sums.
What should I do if I receive a similar Instagram distributor offer?
Do not deposit money into any bank account on the instructions of an online company you have not independently verified. Any scheme promising dollar-denominated returns for listing products on an unfamiliar platform should be treated with caution. Suspected cybercrime can be reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) at cybercrime.gov.in.
