GoFundMe reimbursed the 14,000 donors to the alleged hoax campaign involving a kind homeless vet

New Jersey trio arrested for fake Good Samaritan campaign

(Image credit: Burlington County Prosecutors Office via AP, File)

published 26 December 2018

It may not restore their faith in humanity, but at least the 14,000 people who donated to an allegedly fake Good Samaritan campaign have gotten back the $400,000 they collectively donated, GoFundMe said Tuesday. In November, police in New Jersey arrested the trio involved in the GoFundMe campaign, couple Katelyn McClure and Mark D'Amico and a homeless veteran named Johnny Bobbitt. Bobbitt really is a homeless vet, Burlington County prosecutors say, but he never gave his last $20 to buy gas for a stranded McClure, and the donated funds were mostly used on gambling and lavish purchases by McClure and D'Amico.

"All donors who contributed to this GoFundMe campaign have been fully refunded," company spokesman Bobby Whithorne said Tuesday. "GoFundMe always fully protects donors, which is why we have a comprehensive refund policy in place." Fraudulent campaigns make up "less than one tenth of 1 percent" of GoFundMe endeavors, he added, but "while this type of behavior by an individual is extremely rare, it's unacceptable and clearly it has consequences," and "we are fully cooperating and assisting law enforcement officials to recover every dollar withdrawn by Ms. McClure and Mr. D'Amico." If convicted, each of the three participants faces five to 10 years behind bars.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.