A Gold Coast content creator has been slammed after staging an insensitive prank at a Centrelink office for social media.
Shammi Prasad, known to his 11.1million followers on Instagram and TikTok as Shammi, shared a video this week in which he superglued a $100 note to the footpath
As Prasad watched on, three men came out of the office and attempted to pick up the money, only to walk away disappointed.
‘No luck, brother?’ Prasad said to the first man as he walked past.
He could also be heard laughing as a second man tried in vain to grab the cash by wiping at the prank note.
‘A bit sticky there, mate?’ he said as he walked past.
Gold Coast content creator Shammi Prasad (left) has been slammed after staging an insensitive prank at a Centrelink for social media
Known to his 11.1million followers on Instagram and TikTok as Shammi, Prasad shared a video this week supergluing a $100 note to the footpath in front of a Centrelink office
A third man, who also tried wiping the note with a napkin, vented his frustration by kicking an Esky that he was carrying.
The clip elicited a flurry of comments from followers, with many slamming Prasad over the ‘cruel’ prank.
‘Poor taste, times are tough, this is just cruel… Very distasteful,’ one follower wrote on Instagram while a second added: ‘Bro, that’s cold.’
Another added: ‘Instead of shaming them, why not help them?’ while a fourth wrote: ‘Anything for “hits”. This was a hard watch.’
One fan suggested it was the choice of location, not the prank itself, that was in poor taste.
‘Not about this one, TBH. Out the front of the casino, maybe. Not there,’ they wrote.
It didn’t end there, with one angry follower summing up the sentiment of many with: ‘A millionaire teasing the less fortunate.’
It was a similar story on TikTok, with fans flooding the comments section to chastise Prasad.
‘What a disgusting prank… people are struggling,’ one fan wrote as a second replied: ‘That’s not funny, guys. U have no idea what people may be going through. Poor form.’
The clip elicited a flurry of comments from followers, with many slamming Prasad over the ‘cruel’ prank
The prank also drew condemnation from Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen for targeting ‘people who may be vulnerable.’ ‘Filming and posting this content was inappropriate and showed a clear lack of respect for those involved,’ he told the publication
The prank also drew condemnation from Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen for targeting ‘people who may be vulnerable.’
‘Filming and posting this content was inappropriate and showed a clear lack of respect for those involved,’ he told Yahoo News.
‘We don’t tolerate behaviour that disrupts services or targets people who may be vulnerable.’
Jongen added that Centrelink staff responded quickly to the incident.
‘Those filming were moved on with support from the police,’ he said.
Defacing, disfiguring, or destroying Australian currency (notes or coins) is a criminal offence under the Crimes (Currency) Act 1981.
It is punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for companies, or up to two years imprisonment.
Daily Mail has reached out to Shammi Prasad for comment.
