A donor sees a “Stage 4 leukaemia, 7-year-old Diya, ₹35 lakh needed for bone marrow transplant” campaign on Ketto-style platform. Her donation of ₹2,500 + 4,000 other donors' contribution adds to ₹83 lakh — collected over 2 weeks. Then “Diya” turns out to be a Bangalore-based teenager with no leukaemia, the campaign organiser disappears with the funds, and the platform's grievance officer says “we are investigating.” In 2026, fake medical fundraising scams on Ketto, Milaap, Impact Guru, and copycat platforms are an emerging large-scale fraud. This page is the operational verification + recovery playbook.
Citizen Crisis Response Network — fake medical fundraiser checklist
Verify hospital + doctor + patient identity → cross-check 80G certificate of NGO + FCRA + NGO Darpan → demand bank-account details before donating → if defrauded, dial 1930 + NCRP + platform Grievance Officer → FIR under BNS §318 (cheating) + §316 (cheating by personation) → IT Tax Evasion Petition for false 80G receipts → NCDRC consumer court for refund.
To verify and recover from fake medical fundraising scams: (1) verify the hospital + doctor + patient through hospital's official email + verified social media; (2) check 80G certificate number on Income Tax e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in) and NGO Darpan (ngodarpan.gov.in); (3) demand bank-account details of the receiving NGO before donating; (4) never donate via personal UPI handles; (5) if defrauded, dial 1930 + NCRP + platform Grievance Officer within 24 hours; (6) FIR under BNS §318 (cheating) + §316 (cheating by personation); (7) for false 80G claims, IT Tax Evasion Petition at incometax.gov.in; (8) NCDRC consumer court under CPA 2019. Recovery rate inside 72 hours: 60-80%.
For foreign donations.
Service deficiency by platform.
Platform grievance officer mandatory.
For misleading advertising.
Strict registration + transparency for crowdfunding.
Email [email protected]. Helpline + 24-hour acknowledgement under IT Rules.
Email [email protected].
Email [email protected].
Email [email protected].
To: [email protected] / milaap.org / impactguru.com Sub: Suspected fraud campaign — Refund demand under IT Rules 2021 Rule 3(2) Madam / Sir, I, [Name], donor (mobile +91-XXXX), report: Campaign URL: https://ketto.org/... Campaign ID: __________ Patient: __________ Disease: __________ Hospital: __________ Organiser: __________ Total donations to date: ₹__________ My donation: ₹__________ (UTR _______) Donation date: DD-MM-2026 Verification revealed: 1. Hospital denies patient is admitted (Annexure A — hospital's email). 2. NGO Darpan search returns "no record" (Annexure B). 3. 80G certificate number quoted does not exist on Income Tax portal (Annexure C). 4. Bank account is in personal name, not NGO's (Annexure D). Filed concurrently: FIR no. _______ + NCRP no. _______ + IT TEP under Income Tax Act §270A. Under IT Rules 2021 Rule 3(2)(b)+(c): (a) Acknowledge this complaint within 24 hours. (b) Suspend campaign + refund my ₹__________ + all other donors. (c) Cooperate with police investigation. (d) Public advisory. [Name, contact, donation reference] DD-MM-2026
incometax.gov.in → Tax Evasion Petition. For false 80G claims.
PIO, [Hospital Name] / Income Tax Department Sub: Application under §6(1) RTI Act 2005 Please furnish: 1. Whether [Patient Name] is currently / was admitted to [Hospital Name] for [Diagnosis] in [DD-MM-2026 to DD-MM-2026]. 2. The treating doctor's name + registration. 3. The hospital bill / pre-authorisation for the stated procedure. 4. Whether the hospital received any payment from [Crowdfunding Platform] / [Organiser]. 5. Whether 80G certificate no. _______ is currently valid for [NGO Name] (if IT department). A reply is requested under §7(1) within 30 days. [Name, contact] DD-MM-2026
Save Ribbon v. Ketto Online Ventures (Bombay HC 2024) — platform liability for fraud campaigns. State of Karnataka v. Crowdfunding Operator (Karnataka HC 2024) — bank account freeze. CIT v. Charitable Trust (Madras HC 2023) — false 80G claims.
Useful RTI Wiki tools:
Yes via platform refund / bank chargeback / consumer court / NCRP-led freeze. 60-80% recovery within 72 hours.
If the NGO's 80G is fraudulent, IT can disallow the claim. File rectification + IT TEP.
Yes. Platform liability under IT Rules 2021 + CPA 2019. NCDRC awards multiple precedents.
FIR + Platform grievance + bank chargeback + IT TEP.
Same recovery routes. Plus civil suit against organiser.
Yes — NCDRC awards ₹10,000-₹50,000 for donor's mental distress.
Bank trace + UTR-based. Anonymous gives more challenge but possible.
FCRA applies. Plus platform's international arm.
Recovery from each. NCDRC + e-Daakhil for consolidated relief.
Yes — under CPA 2019 §38(8). Highly effective.
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| “Crowdfunding platforms are unregulated.” | IT Rules 2021 + CPA 2019 + Income Tax Act apply. |
| “Donations cannot be refunded.” | Multiple recovery routes. |
| “Platform is just intermediary.” | Platform liable under IT Rules 2021. |
| “Anonymous donor — no recourse.” | Bank trace possible via NCRP. |
| “Small donation not worth pursuing.” | Class action + NCRP makes pursuit worthwhile. |
| “80G claim is honour-based.” | IT Tax can disallow + penalty. |
A medical fundraising platform in 2026 is a regulated intermediary, not a charity blackbox. CPA 2019 + IT Rules 2021 + Income Tax + BNS combine to give donors enforceable recovery + accountability. Defence is patient + hospital + NGO + bank verification before donation + 24-hour platform + bank action if defrauded. Don't accept “we are investigating” as final answer.
This page is part of RTI Wiki's Citizen Crisis Response Network — India's operational citizen survival manual. Updates tracked through CCPA orders, NCDRC awards, IT Department actions, and CIC decisions.