GoFundMe has refunded people who donated to a viral campaign ostensibly intended to benefit a Philadelphia homeless man and that authorities now allege was an elaborate scam, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
GoFundMe has refunded people who donated to a viral campaign ostensibly intended to benefit a Philadelphia homeless man and that authorities now allege was an elaborate scam, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
The incident began after a New Jersey couple, Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure, claimed that a homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., came to McClure’s aid and helped her get gas with his last $20 when her car broke down off a Philadelphia interstate. Initially posted to GoFundMe last year, the so-called “Paying it Forward” campaign claimed its goal of $10,000 would be used to secure an apartment for Bobbitt, as well as a car and up to six months’ worth of living expenses. The campaign ultimately raised more than $400,000, in part thanks to a high-profile media tour.
