Fraudsters are exploiting the August 2026 Bhotekoshi floods by setting up fake fundraising pages. Authorities have issued an urgent warning to avoid personal UPI QR codes and only donate through verified government relief channels to prevent financial fraud.
The devastating Bhotekoshi floods in Nepal, which occurred on August 26, 2026, have unfortunately triggered a surge in digital financial fraud. Scammers are actively exploiting the public's desire to help by creating fake fundraising profiles across social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. These bad actors are using a combination of repurposed disaster footage and AI-generated content to create a false sense of urgency, tricking well-meaning donors into sending money to personal accounts rather than authorized relief funds.
The Fraudulent Tactics
Investigators have found that these fraudulent pages often lack a verifiable history and feature limited, repetitive content. Instead of linking to registered charitable organizations or official disaster response accounts, the operators exclusively use individual UPI QR codes for donations. In a concerning trend, some fraudsters have gone as far as using artificial intelligence tools to create fake donation receipts, aiming to add a layer of false credibility to their scams. One such instance led to the arrest of an individual in Ramechhap, identified as Bhagwan Karki, who reportedly used AI to divert relief funds to a personal QR code.
Official Regulatory Intervention
The scale of this digital exploitation has prompted immediate action from the highest levels of the Nepalese government. The Office of the Prime Minister of Nepal, in coordination with the Nepal Rastra Bank, has issued a strict advisory to the public. Officials have mandated that all relief contributions must be directed solely to verified government disaster relief funds to ensure the capital is managed with transparency and proper oversight. The authorities have explicitly warned the public against transferring money to personal bank accounts or any unverified QR codes circulating on social media.
Digital Platform Coordination
Beyond public warnings, the government has engaged directly with major social media companies, including Meta and TikTok, to curb the spread of malicious content. The goal is to remove graphic, misleading, and fraudulent donation appeals that are hindering legitimate rescue and rehabilitation efforts. For those wishing to contribute, the most effective way to ensure funds reach flood victims is to verify the legitimacy of the donation portal through official government websites or established, well-known relief agencies. Donors should remain cautious of any donation request that demands payment via personal digital payment apps, as these are often the primary vehicles for financial theft in such disaster scenarios.