A fake charity donation scam in Pakistan usually appears right after a flood, earthquake, or another disaster, when people are most eager to help. Fraudsters set up fake donation drives on WhatsApp, Facebook, and SMS, collect money in personal Easypaisa or JazzCash accounts, and disappear. The victims never reach, and the donors never find out where their money went.
How the scam works
The pattern is almost always the same:
- A heartbreaking post or message appears. It shows photos or videos of flood victims, hungry children, or destroyed homes, and asks for urgent donations.
- The appeal looks official. It may copy the name and logo of a well-known charity, or use a name that sounds almost like one.
- Payment goes to a personal account. Instead of a charity’s official bank account, you are asked to send money to a personal mobile wallet or a bank account in an individual’s name.
- Pressure replaces proof. The collector insists you must donate “right now” and gets defensive if you ask questions about registration, receipts, or how the money will be spent.
Some fake appeals are simple: a forwarded WhatsApp message with a mobile number. Others are more polished, with a website, a Facebook page, and stolen photos from real relief work.
Why disasters attract donation fraud
After a major flood, millions of people want to help at once, and most of them donate quickly, without checking. Fraudsters know this. In 2025, during flood relief efforts, Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) warned federal and provincial authorities to stay alert against attempts by proscribed organisations to exploit flood relief fundraising, and directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and PEMRA to run public awareness campaigns cautioning citizens against donating to outlawed groups. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) was tasked with monitoring online and social media platforms for illicit crowdfunding campaigns.
Charity regulators abroad have issued the same warning during Pakistan flood appeals: fraudsters create fictitious appeal websites and emails that falsely use the names of genuine charities. The lesson is the same everywhere — generosity during a disaster needs verification, not just speed.
Red flags of a fake charity appeal
Stop and check before you donate if you notice any of these signs:
- Donations go to a personal account. A genuine charity collects in its own organisational account, not in a volunteer’s personal Easypaisa or JazzCash wallet.
- No registration details. The appeal cannot tell you the organisation’s registered name, registration number, or physical office address.
- Urgency and guilt tactics. “Donate in the next 10 minutes or children will die” is pressure, not proof. Real charities accept donations at any time.
- Vague promises. The appeal says “help flood victims” but never says which area, which families, or what exactly the money buys.
- Copied branding. The logo looks familiar but the spelling, page name, or contact number is slightly different from the real charity.
- No receipt or record. There is no way to get a receipt, no website, and no published report of past relief work.
- Cash or crypto only. The collector refuses bank transfer to an organisational account and insists on untraceable payment methods.
Pakistan’s Financial Monitoring Unit lists similar warning signs for misused non-profit organisations, including donation collection by organisations that cannot be found on official lists and funds moving into personal accounts.
How to check a charity before you donate
A few minutes of checking can save your donation from going to a fraudster:
- Donate through the charity’s official channel. Go to the organisation’s own website or verified social media page yourself. Do not trust a forwarded link or screenshot.
- Ask for registration details. Genuine organisations in Pakistan are registered at the provincial level or with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). Ask for the registration number and check it.
- Call the charity directly. Use the phone number from the charity’s official website, not the number in the appeal message, and confirm the campaign is real.
- Check the account name. Before sending money, confirm the account holder’s name matches the organisation, not an individual.
- Prefer well-known organisations. During a disaster, established charities with a track record of relief work are the safest choice.
- Keep your receipt. A genuine charity gives you a receipt or a transaction record. Keep it as proof of your donation.
If you already sent money to a fake appeal
Act quickly:
- Save screenshots of the message, the page, and the payment receipt.
- Report the fraud to the NCCIA helpline 1799 or through its online complaint portal.
- Contact your bank or mobile wallet provider and ask whether the transaction can be flagged or reversed.
- Report the fake page or account on WhatsApp or Facebook so it can be removed before others are tricked.
You may also come across other scams that use the same pressure tactics — for example, the fake BISP 8171 SMS scam, the fake prize call scam, and the WhatsApp “vote for my child” contest scam. The defence is the same in every case: verify before you pay.
How to protect yourself
- Never donate to a personal Easypaisa or JazzCash account claiming to be a charity.
- Never donate because of a forwarded message alone — verify the appeal through the charity’s official website or phone number first.
- Never share your bank details, PIN, or OTP with anyone collecting donations; a real donation never needs them.
- Treat urgency as a warning sign, not a reason to rush.
- When in doubt, donate to a well-known, registered charity you already trust.
- Report fake donation appeals to NCCIA on 1799 so others are protected too.
Your kindness is real. Make sure the charity receiving it is real too.