“Not all social media content is real”: IG influencer faces backlash over staged iPhone giveaway in Vietnam

Instagram influencer Eidan Sanker has drawn backlash from Vietnamese Internet users after a viral clip allegedly showed one of his iPhone giveaway videos being staged in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Sanker, known online as @master.sanker, has more than 19.4 million Instagram followers and is widely recognised for videos featuring public giveaways, cash rewards and surprise street interactions.

The controversy emerged after footage circulated online showing Sanker handing an iPhone to a young woman near Hoan Kiem Lake, a popular pedestrian area in central Hanoi.

Seconds later, the woman appeared to pass the phone to another man believed to be part of the production crew. She was then seen receiving a sheet of paper that viewers suspected contained cash.

The clip quickly spread across Vietnamese social media platforms, triggering accusations that the giveaway had been staged for content creation purposes.

Master Sanker the scammer lmao
by u/Comprehensive_Art_9 in VietNam

Questions over giveaway authenticity

Many Vietnamese users expressed disappointment online, saying they felt “emotionally misled” by content that appeared to present itself as spontaneous generosity.

Some users questioned whether other “giving iPhones to strangers” videos associated with Sanker had also been staged.

Others, however, argued that scripted or partially coordinated content has become common across social media platforms and should not be considered surprising.

Sanker has built a substantial online following through giveaway-themed content. In addition to his Instagram audience, he has more than 13 million followers on TikTok and around nine million subscribers on YouTube.

Influencer responds to allegations

Following the backlash, Sanker addressed the controversy through Instagram Stories.

He did not directly confirm whether the iPhone shown in the viral clip had been taken back after filming.

Instead, he claimed the woman involved had approached him voluntarily to participate in the video in exchange for 100,000 Vietnamese dong (approx. US$3.79).

Sanker said viewers could “go ask her and check” whether his account was accurate.

Sanker: Online content not always real

He also suggested that audiences should not automatically believe everything presented on social media, implying that online “content” is not always entirely real.

"Don't believe all the things you see in the social media," Sanker said, "because what you see in the social media is content and not all the content in the social media is real. "

However, he also defended his livestream charity activities, insisting that what viewers see there is “real 100%,” and thanked Vietnamese social media users for making him viral, saying he gained 1.5 million followers in seven days.