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A ₹500 ‘reveal’ and an AI video: Why people are calling out this Instagram stunt
An Instagram page promising a major August 25 reveal has sparked online outrage after followers were allegedly asked to pay ₹500 to access the video.
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An Instagram account built around a single date, “25 August 2026”, has sparked a wave of discussion online after users alleged that they were asked to pay ₹500 to access a much-hyped video.
The account reportedly spent several days building anticipation around August 25, posting reels that teased a major revelation and urged viewers to follow its channel. The posts attracted significant attention, with the page reportedly gaining lakhs of followers.
As August 25 approached, the account allegedly shared a Telegram link on its Instagram Story, telling followers that the promised video would be released there at noon. According to claims circulating on social media, users were told to move to Telegram as the video would be deleted from Instagram.
However, the link allegedly directed users towards a payment request, with people being asked to pay ₹500 to access the content. Social media users have since claimed that around 1.66 lakh people paid the amount, putting the alleged collection at approximately ₹8.3 crore.
After the payment, the much-awaited content was reportedly released. Instead of the major revelation many followers had been expecting, users claimed that the video was an AI-generated motivational video.
The episode has since prompted several creators to discuss the incident online, with some describing it as one of the biggest “scams” of 2026. Content creators including Palak Dhawan Chaudhary and Deepak Wadhwa have also spoken about the controversy.
In one Instagram video discussing the episode, a woman claimed that the page had amassed around four lakh followers before the reveal and alleged that thousands of people had paid to access the promised content.
The account has also reportedly posted a Story saying that those who missed the video this year could wait for a year, as it would be available again on August 25, 2027.
While the claims have triggered widespread outrage and amusement online, the identity of the account operator remains unverified.
