OTHERS

‘Curative Survey’: Meet Kashmiri student who first raised alarm on the scam

By News Desk

December 20, 2023

Bhat Yasir

In the midst of the ‘Curative Survey Scam’ unsettling Kashmir, a courageous young man from South Kashmir emerged as the central figure, bringing the scandal to light two days prior to the public uproar.

Nafi Javaid, a B-Tech student from Kulgam, runs the ‘Nafxx Tech’ page on social media through which he educates the masses about online frauds and provides technical training.

On 16th December, Javaid posted a video on his social media page in which he exposed the reality behind the ‘Curative Survey’, which was actually a scam. Hundreds of Kashmiris claim that they were cheated by this fraud company.

“It isn’t the first time; I have exposed a fraud company before the ‘Curative Survey Scam’ as well,” Javaid said, adding, “Many people contacted me and inquired about this company, then I started my research.”

As part of the ongoing investigation, suspicions of collusion with influential figures and scrutiny of social media influencers in J&K have surfaced. Reports indicate that the bank accounts of the fraudulent company, situated at HDFC Marble Market Jammu, ICICI Chhani Himmat Jammu, and Yes Bank Gandhi Nagar Jammu, have been frozen.

Police has been lodged a First Information Report (FIR) via the number 39/2023, invoking sections 66D of the IT Act and 429 of the IPC. As per multiple reports, several youtubers who promoted the agency have been summoned, and their gadgets confiscated during the investigation.

Earlier, a youtuber claimed that he had promoted the content of the agency after thoroughly checking their registration documents; however, The Kashmiriyat cross-checked the claim to find that the accused youtuber promoted the ad in June, while the company was registered a month later in July 2023.

In a startling development, numerous subscribers, including students, pensioners, and housewives in the Kashmir Valley, find themselves embroiled in an alleged scam orchestrated by the Chennai-based “Curative Survey” company.

Victims, including individuals like Shahid Wani from Sopore, expressed dismay, recounting how they invested their hard-earned money with the expectation of promised returns. Shahid and others opened multiple accounts, engaged in surveys, only to have payments abruptly halted without any explanation.

The company, which maintained offices across various districts in the valley, vanished just before the scheduled payouts, leaving an estimated ₹59 crores unaccounted for.

Not limited to individual subscribers, even employees, including female staff, have fallen victim to the company. The whereabouts of these employees, now untraceable in Jammu Kashmir, are unknown.

An employee shared details of the scam’s modus operandi with The Kashmiriyat, revealing that outbound calls were made to people, promising them monthly payments of ₹3000 for fifteen months. The basic plan required subscribers to deposit ₹5000 initially and complete surveys, after which they were supposed to receive ₹3000 per month. However, this seemingly enticing offer was merely a ploy to encourage subscribers to deposit more money, leading to heightened profits.

The employee disclosed, “Through us, they called the customers frequently to increase their investment, which would supposedly lead to higher profits. Hundreds of people throughout Kashmir deposited money, and then one day, the management of the office shut down their main office in Srinagar, disappearing without a trace,” as reported by The Kashmiriyat.

Additionally, several “youtubers” and “Instagram influencers” who promoted the brand in Kashmir and Jammu are also under scrutiny in connection with the scam.

Javaid, amidst his efforts to uncover such scams and educate the public, highlighted the lack of awareness as the primary reason behind such online frauds in Kashmir. “When people narrate their stories of online frauds to me, I feel very bad. I always try to make people aware and save them from frauds,” he said.”