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  Geebo 9:00 am on February 20, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: crowdfunding, first responders, gofundme ( 10 ), Police ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Scammers using names of slain first responders for profit 

  

  By Greg Collier

  GoFundMe was conceived with a noble purpose, aiming to empower individuals to rally financial support for personal crises they lack the means to address. Initially, the platform primarily facilitated crowdfunding for urgent car or home repairs. However, reflecting the grim reality of healthcare costs in the United States, a significant portion of users now turn to GoFundMe to alleviate burdensome medical expenses. Tragically, this extends to families grappling with sudden funeral costs. Undoubtedly, GoFundMe has been instrumental in rescuing countless individuals from dire financial straits. Regrettably, as with any tool designed to aid people, malevolent actors inevitably seek to exploit it for nefarious ends.

  Over the weekend, tragic news unfolded in Burnsville, Minnesota, as three courageous first responders lost their lives in the line of duty. Responding to an emergency call, two police officers and a paramedic were fatally shot by a heavily armed suspect who had barricaded himself inside his home. Adding to the heartbreak, seven children, aged 2 to 15, were present in the residence during the horrifying ordeal. The suspect ultimately took his own life before authorities could apprehend him.

  Within hours of this devastating event, crowdfunding requests began to surface under the names of the fallen heroes. So pervasive was this exploitation of their sacrifice that the City of Burnsville felt compelled to issue a warning on its website, cautioning against online donation solicitations in the victims’ names. As of this reporting, no official donation funds have been set up for the families of the fallen.

  GoFundMe prioritizes the battle against scammers with a robust approach. Their stringent verification procedures ensure the legitimacy of campaign organizers and beneficiaries. Moreover, they offer donors peace of mind by promptly refunding contributions made to fraudulent campaigns.

  It’s crucial to exercise caution when considering donations through platforms like GoFundMe. Despite its positive mission, it can unfortunately become a breeding ground for deception. To mitigate the risk of falling victim to scams, it’s advisable to contribute only to GoFundMe campaigns verified by credible sources such as local news outlets or trusted acquaintances.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 28, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank scam ( 70 ), crowd funding ( 2 ), crowdfunding, fund raising ( 2 ), gift cards ( 101 ), phone scam ( 46 ), Scams ( 1,366 ), social security ( 29 ), walmart ( 24 )   

  Scammers took advantage of late teen’s fundraiser 

  

  Here are some more scams happening to various communities from around the country. Always keep in mind that if they’re happening in one place, they could be happening somewhere near you.

  In Arkansas, a 15-year-old boy passed away after a freak accident that happened at his home. His grandparents took to social media in order to raise funds for the boy’s funeral expenses. While the family was able to raise the money needed, scammers set up fake social media accounts also posing as the boy’s family. The scam targeted people who already donated asking for phony donations in Amazon gift cards. Thankfully, many of the victims were able to get their money back. However, it shows what depths scammers will stoop to just to make a few hundred bucks.

  In Central Texas, a local police department is warning residents about a phone scam that has been worrying local residents. In it, the scammers pose as agents from the Social Security Administration claiming that there have been bank accounts opened using your Social Security number and that they’re tied to criminal activity. They threaten to freeze all of your bank accounts unless a payment is made over the phone. These calls are reportedly coming from overseas while appearing to be from local phone numbers.

  The last scam may seem like it’s an urban legend passed around on Facebook but according to police in Indiana, it has happened to a number of victims. Police there say a man has been going to WalMart and using the self-checkout to scam victims. The scammer has been allegedly using the self-checkout to scan gift cards but not paying for them. Then, the next person who uses the self-checkout inadvertently ends up paying for the gift card that the scammer scanned. While this sounds like a simple scam to foil, anyone could fall for this if they’re not paying attention. Always make sure that there are no already scanned items on the self-checkout screen. If there are, go to another scanner or contact a store employee.

  Nk is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Nk 9:36 pm on November 5, 2019 Permalink

    I spoke yesterday to a young man who was in India who originally claimed to be from social security. I admonished him for lying and stealing from people. He was very serious and proud of himself and his team because they don’t wipe out anyone’s money. They only take half. He said that if they have $1000 in their account, they only take $500. He said that’s because they show compassion.

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  Geebo 10:06 am on January 4, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: crowdfunding, gofundme ( 10 ), New Jersey ( 7 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  NJ proposes crowdfunding scam law after GoFundMe debacle 

  

  If you’ll recall, you may remember hearing a story in the news about a New Jersey couple who raised close to $500,000 on crowdfunding site GoFundMe in order to help a homeless veteran that they claimed showed them kindness in a time of distress. The story made national headlines and even resulted in the trio being interviewed on several national news reports. Then as the months went by after the story was initially reported it was discovered that most of the story was fake. The man was a homeless veteran but he was talked into the scam by the couple. Now, all three are facing charges of fraud. GoFundMe has stated that there is very little fraud on their platform and have refunded donors to the fraudulent campaign and vow to assist law enforcement when it comes to phony campaigns. Now, one New Jersey legislator is trying to make it so it never reaches that point.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sTxXEzPrxI%5D

  New Jersey State Assemblyman Ron Dancer has introduced a bill that would increase the penalties for crowdfunding theft in the Garden State. The bill calls for a $500 fine for each fraudulent contribution collected. Considering how many people donated to the fraudulent campaign that could rack up a very hefty fine in no time. The bill also suggests that the money collected through fines could be used to assist New Jersey citizens who are in danger of losing their homes. While the law is noble in its intentions could it have unintended consequences? Could it be applied to failed campaigns on sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo if the campaign failed to deliver its promised product? If so then the bill would definitely need some fine tuning.

  As far as consumers go, should you be wary of crowdfunding campaigns like this? Absolutely. While GoFundMe maintains that fraud is low on their platform that doesn’t mean it’s non-existent. If a story sounds too good to be true or farfetched it probably is. You don’t have to donate to a campaign just because everyone else is. While it’s important to be charitable when someone is down on their luck it’s just as important to protect yourself from being fleeced by a phony sob story.