Fake facebook donation appeals: Woman’s photo used, donations pocketed, says Police

May 31, 2025 by News Desk

In a significant crackdown on online fraud, Srinagar Police on Saturday arrested two individuals allegedly involved in a fake medical donation scam on Facebook that used a local woman’s photo without consent to solicit money under false pretenses.

The police said the racket came to light after Muneer Ahmad Misger, a resident of Nowhatta, filed a formal complaint with Police Station Nowhatta on May 30.

Misger alleged that an unknown person posing as a journalist had uploaded a photograph of his sister on Facebook, accompanied by a fabricated story appealing for donations for a surgery that never took place.

“This was a malicious act aimed at deceiving the public and emotionally exploiting them for financial gain,” Misger stated in his complaint.

Acting on the complaint, police registered FIR No. 21/2025 under sections 318(2) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation.

During the probe, the Facebook page administrator was identified as Mohammad Lateef Lone, son of Ali Mohammad Lone from Tujan, Pulwama. He was subsequently arrested.

Police also arrested another accused, Amir Yousuf Khan, son of Mohammad Yousuf Khan from Bandipora, currently residing in Gulab Bagh, Zakoora. Investigators found that Khan had shared the bank account details into which the fraudulent donations were being collected.

“Both accused were operating in coordination to defraud people under the guise of a medical emergency. More arrests are expected as the investigation progresses,” a police official said, as per a statement

Sources informed The Kashmiriyat that this incident may be part of a larger nexus involving multiple Facebook pages that exploit public generosity by taking a cut even from legitimate appeals. “Some of these pages run like businesses, demanding a share from the amount donated to the needy,” the source said.

Expressing concern over the misuse of charity, local cleric Molvi Zahid Hussain remarked, “Kashmiris are kind-hearted people, but that should not become a reason to be defrauded. It’s haram to play with someone’s pain for personal gain.”

In a public advisory, the police urged people to refrain from sharing or interacting with the fraudulent Facebook post, warning that spreading such content could further the criminal intent and deepen the distress caused to the victim’s family.

“The public is requested to stay vigilant and report any suspicious or illegal online fundraising activities to the nearest police station,” the official statement concluded.