Here's a fundraising rule that apparently doesn't bend: it's not just about whether the story is true, it's about who's telling it.
GoFundMe shut down a fundraiser that had raised nearly $745,000 for an 81-year-old man's wife's cancer treatment after learning the "neighbor" running the campaign was actually his daughter.
The platform deactivated the campaign after saying it found "factual misrepresentations," according to a report published by NewsNation on Monday. GoFundMe said all donors have been refunded.
Tip Triggers Investigation
GoFundMe told NewsNation it received a tip on Sept. 25 questioning the identity of the woman running the campaign, who had described herself only as a neighbor named Erin. The company's Trust & Safety team opened an investigation, which the report described as standard practice for a tip like that.
On a recorded call, GoFundMe asked the organizer whether the couple were her parents. She said they were.
Daughter's Explanation
The organizer told GoFundMe she created the "Erin" persona because she believed the story would connect with more people if it appeared to come from a stranger moved by the couple's situation rather than from a daughter asking for help.
She said she filmed the video by herself and maintained that every other detail, including her father's job, her mother's diagnosis and the financial strain, was true.
Why It Was Removed
GoFundMe said misrepresenting an organizer's identity or relationship to the beneficiary violates its terms of service regardless of intent, because it undermines donors' ability to know who they are giving to.
The company said keeping the platform safe and trusted is its top priority and that removing the fundraiser protects donors' generosity.
The Couple's Story
The man began working as an airport luggage courier three years ago, putting more than 200,000 miles on his car to help pay for his wife Josephine's pancreatic cancer treatment.
He told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo on Friday that he interviewed at several places and the luggage carrier was the one that offered to hire him.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.
