Fake charity or disaster relief appeal
An emotional appeal for a patient, an animal shelter or disaster relief collects donations into a personal account.
Community reports: 0 · Checks that matched it in the last 30 days: 1
How it works
- A forwarded message or post shows a sick child, an injured animal or a flood, with a heartbreaking photo and an urgent request for help.
- It gives a personal UPI ID, a QR code or a bank account, sometimes using the name of a real hospital or charity.
- The money goes to the scammer, the photos are often taken from old news or another family's real appeal, and the same message keeps circulating.
What it looks like
Example messages. Numbers and links are masked.
Urgent! 3 year old baby needs heart surgery tomorrow. Parents are very poor. Please send anything, even Rs 100, to this UPI. Forward to all groups. God will bless you.
Flood relief: families have lost everything. Donate now using this QR code. 100% goes to victims.
Red flags
- A personal UPI ID, not an organisation's
- No hospital or charity you can call
- "Forward to all groups" and urgent pressure
- The same photo seen in older appeals
The one question to ask
Can you check this appeal directly with the hospital or charity, using a number you found yourself?
Already paid or shared details?
If you paid online, call 1930 and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with the message, the UPI ID and your payment screenshot. Warn the group it came from so others do not pay.
1930 · cybercrime.gov.in
Also seen as
- Fake temple, mosque, church or gurdwara building fund
- Animal shelter appeals with stolen photos
- Crowdfunding page copied from a real patient's appeal