Pretend dates to rented luxe, young Indians pay for fake social media flex

Rishabh Jain, 21, a student preparing for his civil services exams, recently found himself indulging in a peculiar trend — purchasing fake social media tags. For a trip to Manali and a café date in Ahmedabad, he spent Rs 399 and Rs 120 respectively. “For Manali, I picked scenic views from samples they sent me. I even scheduled the time the posts should go live,” he says. The café tag came from a fabricated female account. For Jain (name changed), it’s about visibility. “People get impressed. They react to your stories, say hi, or check on you. You have to do hawa baazi (show off) on social media. Otherwise, who’s going to remember you exist or bother to call or text?” For Jain — who has no plans to achieve digital stardom — creating the occasional illusion of a 'happening life' is a small price to pay to stay relevant. Crafting aspirational content isn’t just confined to tech-savvy, fame-hungry influencers trying to craft enviable lives. For those seeking to boost social currency, stir a little envy or simply stave off feelings of loneliness, there’s now a market for fake flexes. On social media, boasting is nothing new. Showing off one’s achievements, material possessions and experiences often serves as a form of flexing — rooted, to some extent, in authenticity. In contrast, fake flexing involves outright fabrication, embodying the mantra: 'fake it till you make it' — or until you're caught. Dedicated Instagram handles have now emerged to expose staged displays of success and luxury. Although Ishwar Nath (name changed) had moved to Pune last year to prepare for his CA exams, the 20-year-old found himself swept up in the allure of the city’s vibrant social scene. He attended numerous big-ticket concerts, from pop sensation Dua Lipa to Diljit Dosanjh. His Instagram posts documenting these escapades led to his friends requesting tags in his posts to create the illusion that they, too, were present. Nath spotted a business idea in the making, one that capitalises on FOMO. Along with his sister, Nath launched Get Your Flex, a service that sells fake Instagram stories and tags. What began as faking presence at concerts has diversified. “People wanted tags for cafes, restaurants, clubs, dates, candlelight dinners — you name it.” During the festive season, the demand exploded. “Christmas was all about posts with aesthetic Christmas trees, Santas, and fairy lights. New Year’s Eve brought a deluge of requests for house parties and bonfire tags,” he adds. Nath operates five additional fake accounts — mostly posing as women — to tag his clients, who can then repost the stories as their own. “About 80% of my customers are men aged between 18 and 45,” he says. The service’s rapid growth has prompted Nath to hire two interns, and he’s considering starting monthly subscription packages. But success comes at a cost — in his case, it’s copycat ventures.In a world driven by an endless loop of stories and reels, the pressure to preen and be seen has only intensified, says Vedika Sukhatme, a Pune-based psychologist. “It’s the new-age version of the quintessential ‘Sharma ji ka beta’ who always has a higher standing. By showcasing events they didn’t attend or items they don’t own, they seek to gain a sense of belonging. The behaviour stems from underlying issues with self-esteem, insecurity and social comparison,” she says. “It also deepens feelings of loneliness, as the individual struggles with the gap between their online persona and real-life experiences, contributing to a distorted sense of identity.” A growing number of luxury rental platforms, with everything from designer shoes and handbags to cars and villas, have come up for those unwilling to pay prices for high-end fashion. As the owner of The Stylease, a rental platform for designer-wear, Mumbai-based Jheal Shah-Patel is no stranger to clients being cagey about their reasons for renting. “We are the masters of flex. Our customers rent designer outfits and accessories for 10% of their retail price and wear them for four days,” says Patel.But after nine years in the business, Patel admits that the nature of flexing has evolved drastically. Patel has seen a trend of customers using rented items for purposes entirely different from what they claim. The secretive nature of such transactions has grown pervasive. “People don’t just trade in money anymore. They’ll rent a Manish Malhotra piece from us and pass it off as their own, offering it to others for favours or image-building. Former Miss India winners have rented luxury gowns for events. But in the news, you will see names of someone else styling it. They never acknowledge the piece came from us.” This lack of transparency extends to testimonials and reviews. “People won’t admit the clothes aren’t theirs, even anonymously, on our website. It’s not just an influencer problem; it’s a cultural one.”But in smaller cities, with limited options for mingling and entertainment, fabrication of social scenarios can add a sense of adventure. Rekha, a 23-year-old woman from Jamshedpur, who prefers to remain anonymous, admits she once faked a movie date by paying a cafe owner to post from his social media account. “I wanted to show a long drive, followed by a movie and someone who cared enough to spend time with me. Everyone’s faking something. Fitness influencers show off their healthy meals, but then you see them at KFC. Why is a fake date any different,” she asks. Despite her initial excitement, Rekha now questions whether the temporary validation was worth all the effort to fake a date. “The attention feels good in the moment, but later, you wonder if it’s really you that people like — or just the version of you they see online,” she says.