By Asma Majid
In the quiet of the night, Farah found herself ensnared by the relentless grip of indecision, the weight of her hard-earned money hanging so heavy in the air that it strained her bosom. Sleep eluded her, as the ticking of the clock echoed the cadence of her restless thoughts. At the heart of her turmoil lay a pivotal choice – whether or not to entrust her savings to the prodigious promises of Curative Survey Private Limited, a company that purported to weave financial miracles by doubling the investments of its patrons.
Farah, a diligent soul, had carved her path through the mishmash of life by imparting knowledge to eager minds in a local educational institute. Her evenings were dedicated to private home tuitions, a labor of love and financial necessity intertwined. Every penny that she earned bore the imprint of late-night grading sessions, the resonance of classroom discussions, and the echoes of students grappling with the challenges of academia.
It was Zameer, a familiar face in the professional sphere of Farah’s life that first introduced her to the world of Curative Survey. She once inadvertently overheard a tete-a-tete between Zameer and another staff member and it was through their conversation that she gleaned insights into this matter. However, Zameer had kept his pledge of explaining things at length later in presence of other staff members so that each one of them could get benefitted by this novel scheme in the market and his persuasion had indeed made several including Farah give a second thought to this enterprise.
The idea of having a side income was alluring for one and all. But, as discussions unfolded, opinions diverged within the group. While some were swayed by Zameer’s persuasive explanation and chose to invest in the company, intrigued by the promises it held, a faction remained skeptical and opted to withhold its financial commitments from the venture. They were staunchly critical of the idea of investing into an unreliable company with implausible claims and exhibited complacency over their present earnings and minimal savings.
Days passed and the streak of boundary between the choice that lay before Farah dimmed and eventually faded away. Farah’s indecision metamorphosed into strong conviction. Zameer’s cousin had already experienced the fruits of his investments, and even Farah’s favored YouTuber vouched for the company’s authenticity. Adding to the reassurance was a distant relative, gainfully employed by the same company and actively investing, providing an extra layer of optimism. With such positive indicators, what could possibly go wrong? And if by any chance it did, Farah found solace in the fact that she wouldn’t be navigating the journey alone. In a collective chain of investors, they sailed together, and in any unforeseen turbulence, they would weather the storm together.
Farah, now a registered Curative Survey member, received two payouts of 3000 rupees each at the end of each month. Two months into the membership, she was now standing at the precipice of a more substantial gamble. Farah contemplated wagering an amount that she had meticulously amassed over her 13 years of dedicated day-and-night teaching—a total of rupees 3 lakhs. This sum, her sole asset, filled her with pride as she envisioned the prospect of doubling it. To her, it felt like a divine intervention had illuminated her path to effortless prosperity. Having invested her entire savings, Farah now felt as light as a feather. It was as though all her financial worries had been lifted from her shoulders and sucked out of her life. A strange complacency haloed her. There was no looking back now. Watching the days go by had never been so agreeable.
“I felt ecstatic. I was certain that my choice to invest in the company was absolutely sound. After all, they had already compensated me twice”, Farah expresses with tears welling up in her eyes.
But her happiness was short-lived.
In the quiet of the night, Farah found herself ensnared by the relentless grip of consternation. Her world had turned upside down. The revelation had struck like lightning – Curative Survey, the seemingly promising venture she had invested in, had perpetrated a scam, vanishing into thin air after siphoning off a staggering 59 crores from its patrons. Earlier that evening, tainted by this unsettling truth, Farah, along with several others had been left bewildered. Social media had become a canvas of despair, with videos of distraught individuals mourning the loss of their hard-earned money. Farah, mindful of her modest background and simpleton parents, had opted to keep her investment discreet. Witnessing the anguish on social media, she heaved a momentary sigh of relief for shielding her parents from partaking in the agony. Now, as the night unfolded, her apprehensions of being entangled in the collective sinking of all manifested into a stark reality. Her face was burning, like a child caught with his hand in the biscuit tin. The placidity of the night mirrored the tumult within her, a silent witness to the profound impact of a scheme gone awry.
It turned out that the company which had managed to gain the confidence of numerous individuals was neither affiliated with NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) nor belonged to the category of those 5000 companies whose Certificate of Registration (CoR) was recently revoked by RBI. Additionally, it lacked authorization from SEBI and was not a member of the Indian Direct Selling Association, an organization primarily dealing with B2C transactions or direct business to consumers.
To compound matters, the company was officially registered in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the month of July this year. Strikingly, the company’s website bio indicated its primary involvement in ‘information service activities’. At no point was there any disclosure that the company was committed to compensating individuals for participating in online surveys, let alone the dubious promise of doubling their money.
In the midst of icy temperatures and mist-laden days, the Kashmir Valley resounds with calls for justice, seeking retribution against the scammers and holding accountable the social media influencers as promoters of this deceitful scheme. A blame game has unfolded, with agitated voices hurling insults at anyone and everyone who crosses their path.
“Our peace of mind has been stolen. Until justice is served, we cannot find solace,” cries out a victim.
“We urge the authorities to expose the scammers and assist us in recovering our money. The government should take stringent measures against those employed in the said company because they must be equally implicated,” pleads another victim.
Meanwhile, those who worked in the aforementioned company have a narrative of their own to share.
“We were hired by the company through a legitimate recruitment process and interview. We were just as unaware of the scam the company was orchestrating as the individuals who invested in it”, states Mir Wasim, a former employee of Curative Survey Private Limited. “In fact, we too began investing after witnessing others reap the rewards of their investments”, he adds.
Another group of victims has directed their anger towards social media influencers. These influencers are being held accountable for elevating the reputation of Curative Survey to a provocative extent. Now, the victims are demanding restitution from these influencers, insisting that they repay the money that they helped extract through the scam.
Contrarily, social media influencers maintain their innocence, stating that they are occasionally approached by brands for promotional collaborations. They emphasize that endorsing a brand does not necessarily imply encouragement or influence towards those products or services. Moreover, they maintain that they had thoroughly examined the company’s documentation, and there was no scope for suspicion.
“Why would we, as figures in the social media realm, tarnish our reputation by deceiving people? Any fraudulent activity is inevitably destined to be revealed. In such a scenario, why would we jeopardize the well-being of our Kashmiri brethren for the sake of a few bucks?”, a prominent social media influencer of the valley states.
Zooming out, a scam unraveled in Kashmir, victimizing numerous individuals. However, beneath this larger canvas lies a disconcerting reality that may not be so overt or immediately apparent. The jarring revelation of nearly 60 crores being looted raises a crucial concern. On one hand it indicates that a significant number of people were seeking alternative and effortless sources of income. Moreover, the mode of investment through an app suggests that the majority of these individuals were youth, who, in an attempt to expand the network of investors, roped in their elders into this scam. This circles back to the lamentable plight of Kashmiri youth, who appear to be seeking shortcuts on the internet to secure their futures. Progressing from creating TikTok videos to Instagram reels and eventually falling prey to a Ponzi scam, the capabilities of Kashmiri youth seem to have diminished.
A renowned Clinical Psychologist of the valley, Muzzafar Ahmad Ganaii defines this behaviour of Kashmiri youth in the light of his experience.
“Inherent in human nature is the seed of greed; the desire for affluence, the yearning to be grand, to possess a lavish car, and to secure a prosperous job. This insatiable lust often drives people to seek fulfillment through investments, and sadly, some succumb to scams. The aftermath is a wreckage of financial, emotional, and psychological turmoil, as shattered dreams leave individuals grappling with a spectrum of reactions”.
Having recently interacted with a 19 year old who lost 20 lakhs to a famous indian bidding platform Dream 11 and plunged into depression, Ganaii underscores the societal role as a guiding light in such dire circumstances.
“Amid this chaos, societal responsibility beckons us to provide support—not to demoralize, but to empathize with their current emotional state. It is imperative to recognize that individuals with low mental endurance may resort to extreme measures, such as suicide.”
Researches show that cultural influences, especially through social media, play a significant role in shaping aspirations. Luxurious lifestyles portrayed on social media platforms become the yardstick for success, and youth are conditioned to believe that life is synonymous with opulence. There is an increasing fascination with external cultures portrayed through platforms like YouTube. In this context, Sociologist Dr. Syeeda Nousheen Fatima posits that individuals become susceptible to such scams because they perceive an effortless avenue to acquire wealth—a shortcut that might otherwise demand a lifetime of effort.
The emphasis on training children to pursue careers in specific fields, driven by the allure of fame and affluence attached to these professions, contributes to individuals falling victim to such scams. Ruheel Nabi, an Islamic Scholar and Religious Counsellor, possesses experience in engaging with patients grappling with depression stemming from financial losses incurred in scams.
“Right from childhood, we inculcate the notion that financial success is the ultimate achievement in life, while concealing the inherent struggles associated with it. As the challenges accompanying this pursuit remain undisclosed, the values often take a backseat to the pursuit of wealth. In fact, children are guaranteed the freedom to live life on their terms, with the only condition being the attainment of stability through a secure financial source.
Nabi characterizes the youth as both active and passive participants, playing a role in their own downfall in the scam. He emphasizes that “both the perpetrators and the victims of the scam are young individuals.” However, he advocates the importance of re-establishing a connection with Islamic principles and fundamental human values that do not prioritize money as the focal point of everything.
As the valley contends with the frigid demeanor of Chilai Kalan, the petrified souls of victims await the new year, clinging to the anticipation of glad tidings.
In the quiet of the night, Farah finds herself ensnared by the relentless grip of terror. Her parents, still oblivious of her ordeal, lament the financial losses suffered by the youth of Kashmir. But Farah yearns for the chilly winter night to fade away, giving way to a hopeful new dawn.
- The author can be reached at [email protected]
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