Those who donated to a fraudulent GoFundMe account that was created to make them believe they were helping the family of one of three Concord-Carlisle High School students killed in a crash in Florida have been refunded, a company spokesperson told the MetroWest Daily News.
The fundraiser in the name of Hannah Wasserman, 18, had raised more than $5,700 before it was taken down, a GoFundMe spokesperson said via email.
"Our hearts go out to the community after this tragedy," the spokesperson wrote. "At GoFundMe, being a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority and we are continuing to monitor the platform for any fundraisers related to this incident."
Wasserman, along with classmates Jimmy McIntosh and Maisey O'Donnell, all 18, died from injuries suffered in a crash on Monday, April 21, on Highway 98 in the Florida Panhandle. A fourth student suffered critical injuries.
A day later, a GoFundMe account with the title "Help cover funeral costs for Hannah Wasserman," was created, and it sought $10,000. The GoFundMe used the name of another Concord-Carlisle student whose mother said did not create the fundraiser.
"We became aware tonight that the following GoFundMe has been posted under Rex's name 'in support' of the Wasserman family after their tragedy," Jayme Kennedy Riessen said in a Facebook post last month. "Rex did not start this fundraiser, we do not know who did, and have reported it. Please do not donate as this is not a verified effort."
Riessen didn't respond to a request for comment sent via Facebook Messenger.
Concord Police Capt. Brian Goldman said police are investigating.
"It's kind of disgusting, really, to try to take advantage of people in their darkest hour," he said. "It was a fake account."
Goldman said it's not easy to spot a fake GoFundMe, particularly due to the prevalence of people starting them in the wake of fires, accidents or other tragedies.
"They're posted all of the time and people take it at face value that it's going to the people it is supposed to," he said.
Goldman said GoFundMe fundraisers, as with any fundraiser, should be looked at with scrutiny. He suggested that those interested in donating should try to contact the subjects of the fundraiser, or someone close to them, to confirm its authenticity.
"Those are tricky because a lot of times friends and family set things up," said Goldman. "Don't take it from one source. It's always good to trust and verify. Check with the original source."
The GoFundMe spokesperson said such incidents are "very rare," but when they do happen, a full refund is guaranteed through the company's "GoFundMe Giving Guarantee."
In this instance, the spokesperson said once the company was notified that the fundraiser may be fake, the company reached out to the creator of the page. The money had not been dispersed and was held by payment processors during the review of the page.
"As our Trust & Safety team did not receive a response to our outreach, all donors have been refunded and the fundraiser removed," the spokesperson explained.
Goldman said Concord Police investigators are working with GoFundMe to investigate the fake fundraiser. He said banking information and other identifying information typically has to be shared with GoFundMe, so they will be seeking that information to see if they can track down those responsible.
"After we get the records, we kind of go on a hunting trail to track where the money was going to go," he said.
The fatal crash remains under investigation, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.