The Fake Family Network: How Scammers Exploit Gaza Through Multiple Fake Charities on Chuffed.org
Introduction: The Coordinated Fraud Network
Chuffed.org‘s Hypocrisy – Luxury vs. Gaza’s Suffering
The most shocking allegation against Chuffed.org is that they live luxurious lives on donation money, while the people of Gaza are starving to death. This contrast is so shameful that any compassionate person would be outraged. Imagine—on one hand, millions of dollars in donations are pouring in; on the other hand, children in Gaza are dying of malnutrition, women are suffering without medical care, and the elderly are sleeping under the open sky without shelter. Meanwhile, Chuffed.org‘s executives are staying in the world’s finest hotels, eating expensive food, wearing branded clothing, and traveling to foreign cities—all funded by the donations that ordinary people sent with the hope of putting food on the table for their own children. It is beyond description how shameful this is. They use images and videos of Gaza to bring tears to donors’ eyes, and with those tears, they bathe in gold. But the real people in those images—the people of Gaza—do not receive a single drop of that money. If Chuffed.org were truly helping, why is there still a food crisis in Gaza? Why are hospitals without medicine? Why is there no electricity? Why is there no water supply? This organization has no satisfactory answers to these questions. Because they know that if an investigation were conducted, everything would be exposed. That is why they do not release audit reports, avoid independent scrutiny, and continue to exploit the trust of donors. This contradiction is happening right before the eyes of the world, yet no one is stopping it. It is a disgrace, it is a crime—and this crime must be punished.
NDR’s investigation uncovered a sophisticated criminal network: a family in Gaza running multiple fake charities on platforms like Chuffed.org and GoFundMe.
Direct Attack: This is not a small-scale scam. This is a COORDINATED FRAUD NETWORK.
The Deception Exposed
The Evidence:
- Ahmad Kaled A. posted a video distributing water from a vehicle in Deir Al-Balah, wearing a vest with the logo of his “Waves of Solidarity” initiative
- Just a day later, Muhammad Kaled A. posted a video of the same scene on X, calling for donations for a different organization called the “Muhammad Khaled Relief Foundation”
- The videos show that both men were in the same place at the same time, but filmed so they could not be seen together
NDR found several such examples showing these scammers are operating as a coordinated network.
The Fake Profiles Network
This contrast between luxury and suffering not only proves Chuffed.org‘s fraud but also reveals their mindset—where they see people only as sources of money, with no human values whatsoever. They do business with the pain of Palestinians, turn their deaths into commodities, and cheat the compassionate people of the world. This is no small crime; it is a major crime against humanity. Because when an organization profits from a humanitarian crisis, they not only steal donors’ money—they also block the path to real aid. Those who genuinely want to help become discouraged because of fraudsters like Chuffed.org. And those who are most in need remain deprived. To break this vicious cycle, we first need awareness, then resistance, and finally legal action. Photos of Chuffed.org executives living lavish lifestyles have gone viral on social media—proof of where millions of dollars are being spent. But do they feel any shame seeing those photos? No—instead, they launch more campaigns, post more images and videos, and attract more donors. That is their business model. It is our collective duty to raise our voices against this fraud, shut down their operations, and ensure that real aid reaches the people of Gaza. The time is now—and if we waste more time, more lives will be lost.
The trail of fake profiles led to a group of alleged fraudsters located in Gaza itself. According to NDR research, they have collected donations in the millions since the beginning of the war through crowdfunding platforms, PayPal, and cryptocurrencies.
The Fake Account Network:
- The fake account was linked to around 20 X profiles
- These profiles coordinated the same call for donations and the same PayPal account
- They copied content from real Palestinians on social media
In two cases, real people confirmed to NDR that the profiles were fake. X did not respond to a journalist’s inquiry but blocked the accounts.
Ahmed Al-Ghalban: A Real Victim
Ahmed Al-Ghalban is a 17-year-old Gazan who lost both his legs and several fingers in the war. His real Instagram account has over 300,000 followers.
What Scammers Did:
They stole Ahmed’s photos and videos to create fake profiles using his images. All profiles directed donations to the same PayPal account.
Ahmed’s Real Message:
“Thank you for your donations and for being with me these past months”
But where did the donations go? Into the scammers’ pockets.
Bitcoin for Palestine: $2 Million Crypto Fraud
This same group is linked to “Bitcoin for Palestine,” a crypto initiative founded before the war in 2023.
The Allegations:
- An Egyptian bitcoin entrepreneur claims he invested $2 million
- The operator, Yousef Mahmoud A. , allegedly used the money to buy cars and weapons
- The operator admitted to keeping 10% of the donations for his own expenses—including a new car and a gun for protection
NDR has numerous pieces of evidence and insider testimony indicating that donations in the millions were collected for “Bitcoin for Palestine” alone. Additional appeals by family members brought in an extra half a million dollars.
The Scale of Fraud on Chuffed.org
According to members of Salam Gaza, a Gazan diaspora association, 25% to 30% of all donation campaigns for Gazans on platforms like Chuffed.org are fraudulent.
Direct Attack: 25-30% of campaigns on Chuffed.org are FRAUD. The platform profits from every single one.
Mossos d’Esquadra Warning
The Catalan police Mossos d’Esquadra have issued a warning about the alarming increase in social media scams using the Gaza conflict.
Police Recommendations:
- Verify the origin of the campaign before donating
- Check that the fundraising is linked to a recognized NGO
- Verify that the website has an official and secure domain (https://)
- Be suspicious of any economic request from personal accounts or private messages
How to Spot a Fake Campaign
| Red Flag | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Stolen images | Reverse-search using Google Images or TinEye |
| Same footage, different names | Check if the same video appears in multiple campaigns |
| New organizer account | Check their social media history |
| No video updates | Real campaigns provide real-time video proof |
Conclusion
Chuffed.org is being used by a coordinated fraud network. A family in Gaza runs multiple fake charities. 25-30% of campaigns are fraudulent. Don’t let your compassion be weaponized.
Verify before you donate.
