Across Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, social media is full of posts claiming that an Arab sheikh, a Gulf princess or a royal family will pay for poor girls’ weddings, give cash grants or sponsor visas. They are usually illustrated with edited photos of real royals next to a bride. These posts are scams. This guide explains how they work and how to protect your family.
How the scam works
- A Facebook page, TikTok account or WhatsApp group shares an emotional post: “Sheikh will pay for 100 marriages”, “Queen of Dubai gives Rs 5 lakh to poor families”, and so on.
- You are asked to send your name, CNIC number, photos or phone number to “register”.
- You are then told you have been selected, but must pay a “registration fee”, “lawyer fee”, “courier charge” or “tax” before the money is released.
- After you pay, the account disappears or keeps asking for more.
Seven warning signs
- You are asked to pay to receive help. Real charities never charge a fee to beneficiaries.
- Wrong titles. There is no “Queen of Dubai” or “King of Dubai”. Dubai is ruled by a Sheikh.
- Edited photos of royals with brides, cheques or bags of cash.
- Payment through JazzCash, Easypaisa or personal bank accounts.
- Pressure and urgency: “Only 2 seats left”, “offer ends tonight”.
- Requests for CNIC copies, OTP codes or photos of girls. Never share these.
- No official website or government domain.
How real Gulf charity works
The UAE’s MBRGI, Dubai Cares and Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief work through governments, UN agencies and registered NGOs. They do not select individuals through social media posts.
Real help in Pakistan
For government cash support, use only official channels: the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and its official SMS short code 8171, or the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal. Check the government’s own website for current details. Be aware that scammers also copy the names of these programmes.
What to do if you are targeted
- Do not pay, and do not share your CNIC or OTP codes.
- Report the account to the platform (Facebook, TikTok or WhatsApp).
- In Pakistan, report online fraud to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which took over the FIA’s cybercrime wing.
- Warn family members, especially elders, who are frequent targets.
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Featured image: representational stock photo from Pexels. It does not show any person named in this article.