GoFundMe Refunds $400,000 Over Fake Feel-Good Story Involving NJ Couple And Homeless Vet

via <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/hvv4r-paying-it-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a>

As the criminal case against a trio accused of concocting a $400,000 GoFundMe scam continues, the fundraising website has announced that it has refunded all the donors to the campaign.

"We have a zero tolerance policy for fraudulent behavior," GoFundMe spokesperson Bobby Whithorne said yesterday. "If fraud occurs, donors get refunded and we work with law enforcement officials to recover the money."

Last year, New Jersey resident Katelyn McClure shared her story of being stranded on I-95 when homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt offered her his last $20 for gasoline. She wrote on her GoFundMe page, "I wish that I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day. He is such a great guy, and talking to him each time I see him makes me want to help him more and more." The feel-good tale went viral, with McClure and her boyfriend Mark D'Amico joining Bobbitt for interviews, and eventually $401,921 was raised for Bobbitt.

However, the money was controlled by McClure and Mark D'Amico, and, in August, Bobbitt accused the couple of keeping the money for a lavish lifestyle of vacations and casino trips, leading to an investigation into their finances by Burlington County. (The couple countered that Bobbitt couldn't be trusted with spending the money wisely.) Then, in November, county authorities charged the three with making up the whole story after they met at an off-ramp near a Philadelphia-area casino.

Burlington County prosecutor Scott Coffina said at the time, "Less than an hour after the GoFundMe campaign went live, McClure, in a text exchange with a friend, stated that the story about Bobbitt assisting her was 'completely made up.'"

Adrienne Gonzalez, who runs the GoFundMe scam tracker GoFraudMe, told NJ.com, "I have never seen ANYTHING close to this in the three years I've been covering GoFundMe fraud."

After McClure, D'Amico, and Bobbitt were charged with conspiracy and theft by deception, GoFundMe promised that the campaign's 14,325 donors would be refunded. On Christmas day, GoFundMe announced the contributors had been "fully refunded." Whithorne added, "While this type of behavior by an individual is extremely rare, it's unacceptable and clearly it has consequences. Committing fraud, whether it takes place on or offline, is against the law. We are fully cooperating and assisting law enforcement officials to recover every dollar withdrawn by Ms. McClure and Mr. D'Amico."

According to Whithorne, less than one-tenth of GoFundMe campaigns involve misuse of the platform. GoFundMe also offers tips for determining whether a campaign is "safe to donate to."

Last month, McClure claimed she was manipulated into participating in the scam by her now-ex-boyfriend D'Amico. D'Amico said at the time, "The truth will come out. It always does."