Growing blood donation scam in Hyderabad: Fraudsters demand money in name of travel
Hyderabad: A growing scam involving fake blood donors is raising concern in Hyderabad, as fraudsters exploit families during medical emergencies by demanding advance payments under the pretext of travel expenses.
In a recent case, a family in urgent need of blood posted an appeal on social media. A man responded, claiming he would donate blood but asked for ₹1,400 in travel expenses. After receiving the money, he blocked all contact and never showed up.
The matter came to light when a user posted about the incident on X (formerly Twitter), tagging authorities and blood donor networks. The post read,
“Someone approached the given contact number and scammed ₹1,400 using a blood emergency, then blocked all ways of communication. @hydblooddonors @hydcitypolice. Scammer number: 9990552201. Name in Truecaller: Rohit Jangra.”
In another incident, a similar message was circulated for a platelet donation for a patient named Lakshmi Narayana at Citizen Hospital, Nallagandla. The same scammer is believed to have attempted to exploit this request as well.
The Hyderabad Blood Donors Welfare Society (@hydblooddonors) flagged this pattern and shared their concern on X, saying: “Same candidate again for this requirement… Please check this sir @hydcitypolice @CPCyberabad @RachakondaCop.”
Responding to the posts, Hyderabad City Police advised the victim to file a written complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station at the Central Crime Station building, Basheerbagh.
Bandi Shravan, founder of Hyderabad Blood Donors Welfare Society, expressed frustration over the recurrence of such scams. “There’s little impact from complaints. These scams keep repeating. The only way forward is public awareness,” he said.
Shravan stressed the importance of promoting voluntary blood donation and advised caution when offering financial help. “If someone wants to support travel expenses, it should only be after the donor actually gives blood. Right now, scammers are using these emergencies to cheat people. Life is precious and giving blood saves lives. We must not let fraud get in the way of that.”
The rising number of such incidents has sparked concern among citizen groups and volunteer networks, calling for stronger action and more awareness to protect people in critical situations.
