Misuse of GoFundMe Money: When Donations Go Wrong

GoFundMe, a popular crowdfunding platform, has been used for a wide range of purposes, from medical expenses to funeral costs. In 2018, the platform raised over $5 billion for various causes.

Unfortunately, some GoFundMe campaigns have been misused, resulting in financial losses for donors. According to a report, over 30% of GoFundMe campaigns are created for non-legitimate purposes, such as vacations or personal expenses.

Donors often rely on the honesty and integrity of the campaign creators, but this trust can be broken when funds are misused. In 2019, a GoFundMe campaign was created for a homeless veteran, but it was later revealed that the funds were used for personal expenses, including a down payment on a house.

A mother-of-four was charged with defrauding people of over $25,000 by falsely claiming she was battling breast cancer.

The scam was discovered through a GoFundMe account created to help her with medical treatment. Over 500 people from 16 countries donated a total of $37,000.

The woman, Tara Michelle Enoka, allegedly transferred more than $36,000 from the fundraiser to her personal bank account.

GoFundMe has a "zero tolerance" policy for misuse of the platform and will cooperate with investigations.

The platform is processing refunds as quickly as possible. Donors don't need to take any action, as refunds will be handled automatically.

Ms Enoka was arrested and charged with gaining benefit by fraud. She will return to court in August.

A woman in the US was sentenced to prison for faking cancer to collect over $25,000 in donations.

The woman had created a GoFundMe page claiming she needed the money for medical expenses, but in reality, she was using the funds for personal expenses.