An influencer with millions of followers has come under heavy criticism after a viral clip appeared to show one of his iPhone giveaways being staged in Vietnam.
Social media personality Master Sanker, who has more than 19 million Instagram followers, is known for filming street giveaway videos across Southeast Asia. His content typically features strangers receiving cash, smartphones, and other expensive items in public.
However, his latest uploads have triggered backlash after online users accused him of faking a giveaway involving what appeared to be a brand-new iPhone 18.
Viral clip appears to show iPhone being returned
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced on Reddit allegedly showing what happened after one of Master Sanker’s filmed giveaways ended.
In the clip, the influencer is seen approaching a woman in a public park before presenting her with an iPhone box while the camera rolls. After briefly posing for the video, he walks away smiling.
Moments later, the woman reportedly heads towards the cameraman and hands the iPhone box back to him before leaving the area.
Viewers also claimed the cameraman appeared to hand the woman some money afterwards, fuelling speculation that the entire scene had been arranged for content creation purposes.
The footage quickly spread across Vietnamese social media platforms and online forums, with many users accusing the influencer of misleading followers by pretending to donate expensive items.
Several commenters criticised him for allegedly building an online image centred around generosity and charity while secretly taking the gifts back once filming ended.
Influencer says woman requested payment to appear
Following the backlash, Master Sanker addressed the allegations through Instagram Stories.
According to him, the woman had approached him first and allegedly requested 100,000 Vietnamese dong — roughly S$5 — in exchange for appearing in his video.
He also responded to wider accusations that his content is fabricated, admitting during a recent Q&A session that some of his videos are scripted. However, he maintained that most of his giveaway content is genuine.
Despite his explanation, the influencer did not directly confirm whether the viral iPhone giveaway itself had been staged.
The controversy has since sparked wider debate online over the authenticity of influencer giveaway videos and whether social media personalities should clearly disclose staged or scripted content to audiences.
Many of his recent uploads have since been flooded with comments accusing him of being dishonest, while others defended him by arguing that scripted content has become common across social media entertainment channels.
The incident also reignited discussions about influencer marketing ethics, online trust, and the growing pressure on content creators to produce viral videos that attract advertising revenue and sponsorship deals.