Fake Ad Misusing Neha Kakkar, Kapil Sharma On Newsfeeds of Mobiles

Neha Kakkar and Kapil Sharma are big brands, and unfortunately, scammers are taking advantage of this. We are a scrolling generation, and Google is one of our most trusted names. Whatever Google directs us to, we take seriously. One of the most common activities for us today is to scroll through the Google News app on our phones. Links on that app are to some of the most trusted news and media websites. However, at least one newsfeed has become the home of a scam – that’s ours, and we are wondering where the issue lies.

A few hours ago, while browsing through our new feed, we came across two article links that mentioned Neha Kakkar being ‘arrested’ and ‘fans wanting her back.’ The image in the article title appeared to be a screenshot of the Indian Express website.

Upon closer examination, we noticed that the article in question was marked as ‘Sponsored’. Intrigued, we clicked on the link, remembering not to download any APK file or register on any app that the article would point us to. We immediately noticed that the actual hyperlink led to a different website, not The Indian Express’s website.

The article was hilarious, and while it all seems innocuous and harmless, it’s not. That’s because the article was a fictional conversation between Neha Kakkar and Kapil Sharma. The latter asks her about her revenue streams on his show. Kakkar reveals that, in addition to her singing work, she uses a specific app to trade shares. According to the conversation, the app facilitates trading by utilising AI to make decisions on behalf of the user.

The content was akin to an eighth-grader completing an English language assignment, and at first glance, it seemed harmless. In our opinion, nobody would believe the conversation ever happened anyway. However, a single glance at the incidents we have posted prompts us to write this article.

Here’s the issue with the particular incident:

• The link didn’t direct to where it claimed to, instead, it was a shoddily written advertisement.
• We do not know if the particular app was legitimate under all the country’s rules and regulations.
• The conversation, obviously, didn’t happen.

Additionally, the idea that the article appeared on the Google News Feed is the most unusual, according to us. Yes, the Newsfeed has had ads earlier, but they were never so blatantly malicious. We are not from a tech background. Therefore, we are not entirely certain whether the issue lies with Google Newsfeed or our phone software (we use a OnePlus model).

The Vigilant Blog

Covers the crime beat, spreading awareness about crimes, scams and everything dastardly.

thevigilantblog