An office worker is appealing for advice after overhearing a colleague admit that she intends to spend a $2,800 GoFundMe campaign for her supposedly sick baby on a “girls trip” instead.
According to a since-deleted Reddit post by Special-Hold-5142, the revelation came when the colleague, described as 27-year-old “Alison,” was unaware that others were present in a company bathroom, spoke openly on the phone about her intentions.
“I literally couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” the original poster (OP) told Redditors.
“I’m honestly shocked [because] people in our office aren’t exactly rolling in cash and hearing that made me go crazy inside.”
Liudmila Chernetska/Getty Images
Reddit reactions varied in approach, but not in judgment. Some users suggested direct intervention.
“Report it as fraud so people can get their money back,” one user urged.
Others proposed informing workplace authorities discreetly, “Especially if the boss has been promoting people donating,” a supporter continued.
“Maybe slip the boss an anonymous note saying what you heard.”
‘Legal ramifications’
Calls to expose the “lies” grew, with one user arguing that the OP, “Would be the [expletive] if you didn’t bring this to light.”
A contributor said that donators should be refunded as, “This is a crime of financial fraud and should be reported.”
Another added, “Yeah, intentionally deceiving people into donating money for a purpose that is not genuine can indeed have legal ramifications.”
Crowdfunding fraud is not just unethical—it may also be illegal.
According to Legal Matters: How to Report GoFundMe Fraud, “GoFundMe has specific policies that prohibit fraudulent, misleading, or deceitful campaigns.”
The platform advises gathering concrete evidence before reporting any suspicious campaign, noting that, “If your report is legitimate, GoFundMe staff will investigate and possibly shut down the campaign.”
The site also emphasizes that such deceit could violate federal law, making it a potential criminal matter. Users must provide factual, specific allegations when filing reports, as vague accusations are unlikely to prompt action.
The process does not end at the platform level. Fraudulent campaigns can also be reported to law enforcement and agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
As noted by Legal Matters, “Generally, you should be able to show that the organizer intentionally misrepresented the facts in some way.”
Newsweek reported on a high-profile case involving Mark D’Amico, who, along with his girlfriend and a homeless veteran, created a fake story that raised more than $400,000 on GoFundMe.
D’Amico was sentenced to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
‘Not acceptable’
As outrage simmered on Reddit, users continued to debate the best course of action. Some pushed for notifying GoFundMe immediately, while others suggested that the matter should be brought directly to workplace leadership for internal investigation.
“Tell [human resources], scamming coworkers is not acceptable in any workplace,” one user insisted.
Another added, “She’s defrauding people against GoFundMe’s rules and management would also have a problem with this.”
‘Zero tolerance’
A GoFundMe spokesperson responded to an invitation to comment from Newsweek to say that it has “zero tolerance” for the misuse of its platform.
“The fundraiser has been removed,” the spokesperson continued.
“If any donor would like to submit a claim to request a refund, we will honor it for them.
“At GoFundMe being a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority and we cooperate with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing.”
Newsweek has contacted Special-Hold-5142 for comment via Reddit.
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