More than $400,000 in GoFundMe donations refunded in alleged homeless vet scam
Donations have been returned to everyone who contributed to a viral crowdfunding campaign that authorities say was based on a lie, a GoFundMe spokesman said Tuesday.
Prosecutors announced charges in November against three people who allegedly concocted a feel-good story of kindness to attract donations in October 2017. People donated more than $400,000 to the cause.
GoFundMe spokesman Bobby Whithorne said Tuesday that "all donors who contributed to this GoFundMe campaign have been fully refunded" and that the organization was cooperating fully with law enforcement. Whithorne said cases of misuse "make up less than one-tenth of 1 percent" of GoFundMe campaigns.
In November, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey charged Katelyn McClure and Mark D'Amico, both of Florence, New Jersey, with theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft in connection with the viral story. The man described by the couple as a homeless veteran and good Samaritan, 35-year-old Johnny Bobbitt Jr., was charged with the same crimes. The story that prompted the donations: Bobbitt supposedly gave McClure his last $20 when her car ran out of gas. About 14,000 people donated to a campaign that promised to help Bobbitt start a new life, but authorities say the money was spent on luxury items and casino trips.
(Score: 2) by donkeyhotay on Thursday December 27 2018, @04:40PM
From the article: "...Whithorne said cases of misuse 'make up less than one-tenth of 1 percent' of GoFundMe campaigns..."
I'm wondering how it's possible for GoFundMe to know the exact figures. After all, if the "homeless veteran" guy (Bobbitt) had not sued the couple (McClue and D'Amico), it's entirely possible that no one would have been the wiser.
Several of the GoFundMe campaigns that I have personally seen have been questionable. Most notably, a pair of acquaintances who claimed their grandson couldn't handle normal public school and needed to attend a private school. Then there was the GoFundMe for someone's vacation. Are these examples of misuse? I suppose it's a gray area.
The point is, there really isn't any way to know if the service is being misused unless someone complains.