Native Information
The GoFundMe raised greater than $8,000 supposedly to cowl funeral prices for a Harmony highschool senior who died in Florida. All donations had been refunded.
Suzanne Kreiter/Globe workers
Police are investigating a fraudulent GoFundMe that garnered 1000’s in donations after the organizer claimed they had been elevating cash for funeral prices for one of many Massachusetts teenagers who died after a automotive crash in Florida final week.
Three highschool seniors from Harmony-Carlisle Excessive College had been killed in a automotive crash Monday night time, and a fourth stays in important situation, in keeping with Superintendent Laurie Hunter. Jimmy McIntosh and Hannah Wasserman died within the crash, whereas Maisey O’Donnell was pronounced lifeless later on the hospital.
After the crash, a GoFundMe claiming to lift cash for Wasserman’s household started circulating on-line. Superintendent Hunter mentioned in a letter to the varsity neighborhood that the web page didn’t belong to her members of the family and had been reported to GoFundMe.
A spokesperson for Harmony police confirmed solely that the investigation is ongoing.
A spokesperson for GoFundMe mentioned that “at no level did the organizer have entry to the funds.” All donors had been refunded, and the fundraiser was eliminated when GoFundMe couldn’t affirm the recipient of the funds.
The web page raised greater than $8,000, in keeping with WBZ Information.
“When there’s an unspeakable tragedy, folks have a deep urge to assist and supply consolation to these affected – it’s not unusual for somebody to create a GoFundMe to assist one other particular person after a information report,” the spokesperson mentioned. “All funds remained safely held by our cost processors throughout our overview course of to assist guarantee funds had been safely delivered to the household.”
The automotive of highschool seniors was touring in an SUV on U.S. Freeway 98 after they collided with a tractor-trailer that was making a U-turn. The 2 males within the truck weren’t damage.
College students took to social media to keep in mind McIntosh, Wasserman, and O’Donnell.
“Our hearts exit to the neighborhood after this tragedy. At GoFundMe, being a secure and trusted place to offer and obtain assistance is our prime precedence and we’re persevering with to watch the platform for any fundraisers associated to this incident,” the GoFundMe spokesperson mentioned.
The college district didn’t reply to a request for an replace on the situation of the fourth scholar Sunday night.
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