A Malaysian wildlife photographer became the victim of an elaborate scam that led him to fly to Kenya under the false belief that he had been selected for National Geographic's prestigious Explorer program. Tinesh Sritharan, 32, received what appeared to be an official acceptance letter and supporting emails that turned out to be completely fraudulent, sparking a national controversy after he had already secured thousands of dollars in donations and sponsorships.
The incident began on November 4, 2024, when Sritharan submitted a wildlife photography project proposal titled "Echoes of the Savannah" to National Geographic. His plan was to capture images of the Great Migration at Kenya's Masai Mara reserve. He sent his proposal via email to Sadie Quarrier, who serves as National Geographic's senior director of storytelling.
Months later in April, Sritharan proudly announced that he had received an acceptance letter from Quarrier, along with follow-up emails supposedly confirming his selection for the prestigious assignment. The fake correspondence indicated that while the project was approved, Sritharan would need to finance the entire trip himself, including flights, accommodation, food, local guides, and ground transportation.
News of Sritharan's apparent selection spread rapidly throughout Malaysian media, turning him into a national hero overnight. The photographer conducted interviews with press outlets about his achievement and successfully raised thousands of dollars through donations and sponsorships. The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a major political party, contributed approximately $3,500 (RM15,000) to support his project and even held a formal ceremony to celebrate his accomplishment.
Sritharan also claimed that Sony Malaysia had become a sponsor, allegedly providing him with a high-end FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens for the wildlife photography project. He shared images of the equipment on his Instagram account as proof of the corporate backing he had received.
However, the celebration was short-lived. Just two weeks after the public ceremony, serious questions began to emerge about the authenticity of Sritharan's National Geographic selection. Fellow Malaysian photographers started expressing doubts about the legitimacy of the offer, prompting Malaysian news outlet SAYS to investigate the story more thoroughly.
SAYS discovered that there was no record of Sritharan in the official National Geographic Explorer directory. When they contacted National Geographic directly for verification, they received a definitive response from Natasha Daly, the organization's senior manager and editor. "Tinesh Sritharan is not an Explorer," Daly stated clearly. "The letter you've attached is a fraudulent letter that is not genuine."
Further investigation revealed additional red flags that should have raised suspicions earlier. The emails that Sritharan had received claiming to be from National Geographic had actually originated from a Gmail address rather than an official company email account. This discovery raised serious questions about how the scam had been executed and whether Sritharan was truly an innocent victim.
By the time the fraudulent scheme was exposed to the public, Sritharan was already in Kenya at the Masai Mara, actively working on his photography project. The revelation led to significant public backlash in Malaysia, with many questioning what would happen to the donated funds and whether Sritharan had been complicit in the deception.
Sritharan maintains that he was genuinely deceived and had no knowledge that the correspondence was fake. In interviews with SAYS, he expressed confusion and suggested that someone might have deliberately targeted him as part of an elaborate prank. "I just don't understand what is going on at the moment," Sritharan explained. "Did someone play a prank on me or something? I would not have troubled anyone and myself to come down here to Africa." He also noted that he never received the briefing packet that was supposedly promised in the fake acceptance letter.
Despite the controversy, several of Sritharan's sponsors have chosen to continue supporting him and his project. The Malaysian Indian Congress, which had provided significant financial backing, issued a statement defending the photographer. "It is important to emphasize the fraud lies in the letter, not in the young man," the MIC declared. "He is a genuine photographer, and nothing in this incident changes that fact. If indeed he has been scammed or defrauded, then we feel sympathy for him. No young person should have their dreams manipulated by false promises."
The MIC encouraged Sritharan to complete his wildlife photography project in Kenya despite the embarrassing circumstances surrounding his trip. "He is still representing Malaysia with his camera," the organization stated. "That's worth something." This show of continued support suggests that at least some of his backers believe Sritharan was an innocent victim rather than a willing participant in any deceptive scheme.
