Air India flags fake X handles offering ‘help' to crash victims' kin
"We have flagged multiple handles that pretended to offer assistance. We don't want anyone to fall prey to fraudsters at such a vulnerable time," said a source familiar with the matter.
The deceit is not limited to social media. The airline's dedicated helplines, set up for grieving families and survivors, have received a staggering number of calls. While some heartbreaking, others bizarre.
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"Just three days after the crash, a caller claimed that a friend on the flight was carrying their Louis Vuitton bag and demanded Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation," said the source.
Another wanted reimbursement for "precious jewellery" allegedly in a relative's luggage. One even asked for free international tickets for their entire family this winter, claiming to be a distant relative of a victim.
"Amid the massive outpouring of grief in the aftermath of India's worst air disaster in recent memory, a few individuals have been trying to use this situation to make a quick buck. It is painful to see some people, claiming to be related to the passengers, trying to take advantage of the situation," the source said.
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Air India had set up two 24/7 helpline numbers to handle inquiries and provide support. On Day 1 alone, the helplines received more than 10,000 calls, many from inconsolable family members. "The volume was overwhelming, but it wasn't just that. The emotional trauma of listening to the raw grief of callers broke down many of our call centre staff. Some fainted, others needed counselling or medical help," the source said.
Air India did not respond to queries sent by TOI.
In the days following the crash, Air India announced an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and to the lone survivor to address immediate financial needs. These payments began rolling out from June 20.
Tata Sons, the airline's parent company, announced an additional compensation of Rs 1 crore for the next of kin of each victim. To ensure transparent and long-term support, a dedicated trust with a corpus of Rs 500 crore is being set up.
Support on the ground has also come from a massive network of volunteers. More than 500 staff from Air India and 17 other Tata Group companies were deployed in Ahmedabad, each bereaved family was assigned a dedicated caregiver trained to assist with grief management, logistics, and support.
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