A girl I know has a newborn daughter who was having some medical problems, and someone set up a "GoFundMe" account in the daughter's name. Well the problem is, the parents were never notified and the funds went directly into this person's bank account. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? To me seems like this is straight up fraud and that person should be prosecuted, right?

10/29/2014 10:20:43 PM

isn't this how obamacare works?

10/29/2014 10:24:01 PM

I think that is a crime, and it would be prosecuted.

Is the site still up?

10/29/2014 10:42:44 PM

I don't know how the law would apply, but whoever did that should be punished somehow. They could probably get prosecuted for obtaining property by false pretense, and that charge can be a felony depending on the amount of money or value of property involved.

10/29/2014 11:01:14 PM

Can you give us more details Smath? Like were they confronted? Was there intent to give the proceeds to the family? Did they make attempts to give the proceeds to the family?

Just because the donations went to a third party bank account doesn't automatically make that third party guilty IMO...need more details.

10/29/2014 11:05:29 PM

People who donated could possibly get the magistrate to take out charges for obtaining property by false pretenses. If it's a low number they might just tell you to take it up in civil court.

[Edited on October 29, 2014 at 11:58 PM. Reason : l]

10/29/2014 11:58:15 PM

I'll try to find out some more details tomorrow... i'm not really good friends with this chick (she is married to a guy i know) but i'm friends with her on facebook... apparently though the chick who pulled this shit has done things like it in the past. (and no, she has not attempted to give any money to the family... not that they need it. insurance has paid for all of the medical costs)

10/30/2014 12:00:07 AM

calling jbrick83!

[Edited on October 30, 2014 at 12:37 AM. Reason : this is kind of like divorce law, right? sick-child law?]

10/30/2014 12:37:19 AM

There was a cycling journalist getting sued for some bullshit (related to exposing Lance as a doper) and the cycling community raised like $100k for his defense fund. Long story short, the guy who started the fund ran off with the money and now will end up in jail if he can be located--currently he is running somewhere in Europe.

10/30/2014 6:40:19 AM

Quote :

"obtaining property by false pretenses"

10/30/2014 6:46:26 AM

And this is why I don't give money out based on Facebook posts and spam. I really can't feel sorry for people who fall victim to such scams.

[Edited on October 30, 2014 at 8:36 AM. Reason : I hate facebook more everyday ::angry child on beach squeezing handfull of sand::]

10/30/2014 8:35:21 AM

Someone I know has been sharing a GoFundMe for some CrossFit friend of theirs that wants to have a baby. They keep trying to sell it with "she's a really great person!"

That doesn't seem like what you usually ask for money for.

10/30/2014 3:51:55 PM

I usually don't go for these things... i've never donated to one. i guess that makes me sound stingy on the surface, but if I had a friend who truly was in financial need and I was in the position to help, I would give them money directly, and not through a for-profit site. (of course I don't think i have any friends who would go around asking for money on one of these... too much pride i guess)

10/30/2014 3:54:51 PM

Why the fuck does gofundme not verify the individual or fund that the funds say they are going to is the right person?

10/30/2014 4:03:13 PM

You're a dumbass if you donate money on the internet to something/some that you don't trust. Its about as bad as giving money to beggars

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

10/30/2014 4:05:44 PM

I kind of hate that that site even exists. This girl I know posted a link to facebook for her friend who is about to graduate with a degree in sociology or some shit and wants to move to Boston when she graduates. She "can't work" because she's so busy with school so she wants people to give her $8000 to cover moving costs and so she can have some savings when she moves up there. Why the hell would someone give up their own money so that some bitch who won't even work will have it to save? It's just self involved bullshit. In my day, people would work extra jobs to save up money to do something that they wanted to do in life, not ask for internet handouts. </old person rant>

10/30/2014 4:13:29 PM

Quote :

"In my day, people would work extra jobs to save up money to do something that they wanted to do in life, not ask for internet handouts. </old person rant>"

hear hear.

10/30/2014 4:32:44 PM

In my day people just mooched off their friends and family.

10/30/2014 4:45:09 PM

i've donated to like 2 gofundme sites.

i have ignored countless others that show up on my facebook feed. especially the one last summer raising money to buy a new air conditioning unit for a house.

[Edited on October 30, 2014 at 4:50 PM. Reason : their house is waaaaaaaay nicer than mine.]

10/30/2014 4:50:18 PM

City people?

10/30/2014 4:55:31 PM

lol internet

10/30/2014 5:03:48 PM

I was looking for the shitty airlines

10/31/2014 8:20:00 AM

I have a facebook acquaintance who is doing this for a legal fund so she can sue for partial custody of her kids. Long story with gays and infertility and unrecognized marriage. She's only trying to raise $2000, which I would think would be pretty easy to save. Like, just eat ramen for a month and bam, $2000.

10/31/2014 8:45:54 AM

You spend > $2000 a month on food?

10/31/2014 8:58:28 AM

You'd have to make like $4000 a month to afford all living expenses if you eat $2000 a month.

And if you make that much, you don't need a GoFundMe, which should be for serious illness or fundraisers for noble causes only.

10/31/2014 9:01:37 AM

Okay 3 months, whatever

10/31/2014 11:05:08 AM

I support the shit out of our new health care system but I laughed pretty hard at this:

Quote :

"isn't this how obamacare works?"

10/31/2014 11:25:25 AM

Wait, when did they start letting people lie on the internet?

10/31/2014 11:29:34 AM

10/31/2014 11:46:27 AM