Fake influencer projects, forged celebrity signatures: Mumbai police book 3 for ₹1.41 crore fraud

Mumbai’s Amboli police have registered a case against three employees of an advertising and talent marketing firm for allegedly embezzling ₹1.41 crore by generating fake project bills, forging celebrity signatures and diverting company funds.

The accused have been identified as Rishabh Surekha, Yash Nagarkoti, and Ashay Shastri. Police said no arrests have been made so far and investigations are ongoing.

The complaint was filed by Jeni Anthony (28), an employee of the company, which operates in the advertising and marketing sector with a focus on influencer and celebrity-led brand campaigns. The firm has its head office in Haryana and a branch office in Andheri West, Mumbai.

Alleged forgery of celebrity endorsements

According to the FIR, the accused allegedly siphoned off company funds by creating fake advertising projects and forging signatures of celebrities, including Athiya Shetty, daughter of actor Suniel Shetty, and her husband, Indian cricketer KL Rahul, to clear internal payment bills. Police said the celebrities were never paid and had not participated in the projects for which payments were generated.

The accused are also alleged to have forged documents in the name of actor Arshad Warsi to withdraw funds from the company. In one case, the company later found that no such advertising project had been signed or approved by the actor.

Role of senior influencer marketing executive

Surekha joined the firm in July 2023 as Senior Manager – Client Servicing (Influencer Marketing). His responsibilities included managing branding campaigns, coordinating with influencers and celebrities, and overseeing project execution. He was also authorised to communicate project-related information to the finance department and the company’s chief executive officer.

The FIR stated that after joining the firm, Surekha obtained an interest-free loan of ₹15 lakh from the company for medical treatment of his mother.

Disputed Havells advertising project

In August 2024, Surekha allegedly secured an advertising project for Havells, featuring actress Dia Mirza, and informed the company that ₹31 lakh was required to be paid to the production house Hooray Movies. However, police allege that Surekha assured Yash Nagarkoti, CEO of Hooray Movies, that the project value was ₹62 lakh, leading to disputes and additional payments being made by the company.

Subsequent internal checks revealed alleged discrepancies in billing and project documentation.

Fake bills and impersonation

The FIR further alleged that the accused conspired to generate forged bills in the names of reputed brands, including Havells, Mahindra Lifespaces, Realme Number Series and Birla Estates, and diverted over ₹52 lakh into Surekha’s personal bank account.

Police also stated that Surekha allegedly misused the company’s official email ID to impersonate authorised representatives while communicating with talent management agencies and clients. He is accused of creating a fake email ID in the name of actor Arshad Warsi to obtain funds through bogus influencer marketing projects.

“The investigation is at a preliminary stage. We are collecting documentary and digital evidence before taking further action,” a senior Amboli police officer said.

The case highlights vulnerabilities in billing and verification processes within influencer marketing and celebrity endorsement operations, particularly where senior client servicing executives are entrusted with project approvals and financial communication.