How digital 'supari killers' put a price on getting influencers banned

India’s digital creator ecosystem earns an estimated $20–25 billion in direct revenue and is projected to reach $100–125 billion by 2030, according to a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting press release issued last year.Now a new breed of “supari killers” is threatening that economy. These bounty hunters sell mass reporting, where many accounts flag a creator’s social media page or channel until the platform takes it down. Getting accounts banned is openly advertised as a paid service. For the price of a budget phone, a creator’s online presence can be targeted for removal.For about Rs 17,000, one website says it will get a Facebook profile taken down. A business page costs around Rs 23,000, a group Rs 28,000. Another site is blunter: “Want a YouTube account banned? Send it to us.” It promises a price and timeframe after reviewing the account.The practice is now under scrutiny after the death of V. Harish, a 27-year-old finance influencer from Chennai known as “Finance With Harish,” who had over a million followers. He died by suicide on October 20. In the weeks before, he lost access to his accounts, and media reports say his channel was mass-reported several times. Platform sells engagement and paid reporting services Police have registered an abetment-to-suicide case. Whether mass reporting played any part has not been established.THE CREATOR ECONOMY AT STAKEIndian creators influence more than $350 billion in consumer spending a year, according to US based Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a figure expected to top $1 trillion by 2030.YouTube’s creative ecosystem alone contributed over Rs 18,000 crore to India’s GDP and supported more than 9.6 lakh full-time jobs in 2025, according to google.For this creator and influencer ecosystem, an account connects an audience to advertising, brand partnerships and other income. A forced suspension can hamper that business, with consequences for the people working.DIGITAL SUPARI KILLERSIndia Today Open-Source Intelligence(OSINT) found five such websites. They operate openly, with mass reporting listings for Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms.One site, Naizop, sells Instagram “report bots” for Rs 36. It says its top tier uses older, active-looking accounts for reporting.Naizop also tells buyers to flag sudden jumps in a target’s followers or likes, so Instagram’s automated systems grow suspicious. It offers no guarantee of removal.It is not alone. Another site “SMM Pirat” lists 20 Instagram report plans from Rs 46. Not just instagram the platform provides the reporting services for other social media as well.These sellers describe their work as protection against fake accounts and trolls. Some promise buyers will stay anonymous. These are the sellers’ own claims.They are secretive too. Naizop says it cannot show proof of delivery, to protect its methods. Many route customers through Telegram or WhatsApp, and a few accept only crypto.Meta calls coordinated misuse of its reporting feature a security threat, usually meant to silence people. For creators who earn from one account, losing it can mean losing income overnight.- Ends