Fake Meesho apps and Flipkart clones "Flapart" and "Flaxart" push Diwali deals and UPI-only checkout
India Today's fact-check unit reported on 28 October 2026 that fake shopping apps imitating Meesho and Flipkart are being advertised on Facebook and Instagram. According to the report, it found at least 25 fake Meesho…
- First reported
- Reports
- 1
Source: indiatoday.in · published
What happened
India Today's fact-check unit reported on 28 October 2026 that fake shopping apps imitating Meesho and Flipkart are being advertised on Facebook and Instagram. According to the report, it found at least 25 fake Meesho apps and two fake Flipkart apps, the latter named "Flapart" and "Flaxart". The ads promise steep discounts, such as branded items for a fraction of the normal price. Meesho and Flipkart are impersonated and are not involved in the scam. The report says Meta removed some of the ads after being alerted but that others were still live when it was published.
How the scam works
The ads direct people to an app, or to a download link, that looks like the real shopping service. The fake app shows heavily discounted products and often a countdown or limited-stock message. Buyers pay by UPI or card, and either the goods never arrive or the payment details are harvested. India Today describes cases of shoppers who ordered and paid but received nothing, and notes the apps are also a way to collect personal data.
These scams exploit trust in popular platforms. Names are altered by a letter or two (as in "Flapart" and "Flaxart"), icons are copied, and the apps are distributed through ads or direct links instead of the official stores. A separate police operation in the same week, in which Delhi police arrested several people for cyber fraud, is not shown to be linked to these apps.
A key check is where the app comes from. Real Meesho and Flipkart apps are published by the companies on official app stores and on their own websites. Anything installed from an ad's link, or as an APK file, should be treated as suspicious. Prices far below the market, pressure to pay at once and requests to pay outside the app are further signs.
Source
India Today Fact Check, report on fake Meesho and Flipkart shopping apps advertised on social media, 28 October 2026.
Red flags
- Social-media ads for a "Meesho" or "Flipkart" app with prices far below normal.
- An app name that is slightly misspelled (such as Flapart or Flaxart).
- A download link from an ad or message instead of the official app store.
- Pressure to pay quickly by UPI or to a personal account.
- An app that asks for more permissions or personal data than shopping needs.
If you were targeted
- 1Install shopping apps only from the official store, using the publisher's listed name.
- 2Do not trust an ad's "download" link; search the official app by name yourself.
- 3Compare the offer with the price on the real platform before paying.
- 4If you paid, tell your bank or UPI app at once and report on cybercrime.gov.in or helpline 1930.
- 5Report the ad to Meta using the report option and uninstall the app.