How To Spot "Go Fund Me" SCAMS on the Internet!

[SeaBreeze]

I've heard so many stories on the news over the years about bogus 'Go Fund Me' scams, a little boy wanders off and drowns in a neighborhood pond and several Go Fund Me pages for the "family" pop up online within hours, none of them are legit, etc. Here's some tips to spot Go Fund Me scams online, best to investigate before donating any of your hard earned money for a story that may tug at your heartstrings.

Have you ever donated money to a Go Fund Me page, and found that it wasn't legitimate, or were you unsure after you gave and always wondered if it was honest? More here.

We’ve all heard the tragic story of 72 year of Grandpa Robert Godwin Sr who was shot in cold blood on Easter Sunday. The perpetrator, known as the Facebook Killer, posted the video of the killing on Facebook.

Within 24 hours of this horrible incident, at least 35 FAKE GoFundMe accounts were established! The worst part is that none of these were authorized by the family.

One campaign has raised nearly $91,000. The organizer is a college student from Arizona, with no ties to the family. He set up campaign after seeing it on the news. It SEEMS like fraud, but organizer says he’s “working with GoFundMe” to ensure the money gets to the family.

It’s since been labeled “official” by GoFundMe spokesman. How would the ASU student have gotten the money he raised to the family if it hadn’t garnered so much publicity?

More importantly: what about the other 34 or so GoFundMe pages?

 

[MarkinPhx]

I have stayed away from "Go Fund Me" because of stuff like this. It's a great idea but too hard to control . I'd rather donate my money,food,clothes, etc to a local charity.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

The only time that I have donated to a GoFundMe page was when I actually knew the person and they had set up the page themself. I had a disabled friend who needed one of those mobility scooters and it was not covered by his insurance for some reason, and so the GFM page was set up to help buy his scooter.
It seems like just about everything can be turned into a scam nowdays, and we have to check anything out before we send any money for anything.
I have seen ads for free purebred dogs and puppies that the owner said they were giving away, and you just need to pay for having the dog shipped to you, and , of course, the dog does not exist; but people have sent money for it anyway.
Even houses have been advertised for rent and you are supposed to send the deposit and will then get the house key.
It does not seem like people would fall for this kind of scam, but they do.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Even when there are serious natural disasters like hurricanes, there are scammers making fake sites under the guise of Red Cross, etc. and getting people to send them money. I'm not that trusting and would be careful not to fall for those types of scams either. I'm amazed sometimes at how low people will go to take advantage of the kind-hearted.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I've donated to them three different times and I know that two were legitimate, I'm pretty sure the third one was also. I like the convenience of GFM type fundraising but it annoys me that the fees can run from 8-15% depending on the page and how the payment processing is handled. I understand that everyone involved needs to make a living but I prefer to give directly and save the fees.

In my small circle if someone needs financial assistance the custom has been to have a fundraiser at a local place like a saloon, VFW, Lodge, Fire Hall, etc... I prefer this method and am certain that 100% of the money raised makes its way to the individual or their cause.

I don't normally donate to individual causes outside of my immediate circle.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Woman gets sentenced for faking cancer and collecting over $200,000 in online Go Fund Me scam, more here.

Starting in 2014 and ending in May 2017, Cataldo solicited money for expenses she said were related to her terminal cancer diagnosis. However, Cataldo was never diagnosed with any terminal illness or cancer, her plea agreement states.