'We do not accept funds in any form': Ratan Tata flags fake Facebook page, urges fans to verify before making donations

Ratan Tata is one of India's most beloved businessmen. From his humble gestures to philanthropic efforts, 'Ratan Tata' is a brand everyone trusts upon. But there is a section of people who often take advantage of his name.
On Tuesday, the 84-year-old came across a fake page on Facebook while scrolling on his smartphone. Titled 'Ratan Tata Foundation - A Charitable Organisation', the page had 542 followers and a five-star rating by two users.

A worried Tata immediately took to his official Instagram account to warn his followers of this fake page. In his Instagram Story, alongside a screenshot of the page, the businessman wrote, "This is to let you know about this fraudulent page that has been scamming innocent citizens using the names of my colleagues for money in exchange for help."

"We do not accept funds in any form," his Instagram Story read.

Tata also appealed to his 6.2 million followers on Instagram to report the fraudulent page.

Two hours after his request on Insta, the Facebook page is no longer available. When clicked on this page, the error message appears, "This content isn't available at the moment. When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people or changed who can see it, or it's been deleted."

Tata also said that he is taking 'strict legal action' against the owners of this page.

While Tata confirmed that Tata Trusts (the only foundation that he backs) doesn't accept funds in any form, people who would like to verify the authenticity of a certain outlet claiming to be back by the foundation can write to - talktous@tatatrusts.org.

This isn't the first time the Tata Trusts Chairman has flagged fake news.

In April and May of 2020, the Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus had warned his followers on Twitter and Instagram about fake news being circulated on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, misquoting him, his ventures and his predictions.




He said that he will always try to call out fake news every time, but encouraged people to always verify news sources before believing in them.

"If I have something to say, I will say it on my official channels," he wrote in one of his tweets.