It can feel wonderful donating to a campaign that promises to help someone or something out, but one must take precautions to know if their money is being used for its intended purpose. If not, that money may be perpetuating fraudulent or criminal behavior.
GoFundMe is one of the most popular campaign websites as of current. Campaigns can be created for oneself, friends, or entire charities, but there can be misleading campaigns under each category even amongst the majority of genuine campaigners.
Things to Consider
A campaign page should contain all the necessary information for those wishing to donate. They should explain the campaign’s purpose, how the funds will be used, who in charge of the money, and how the person in charge of the money is related to the organizer of the campaign as a whole.
A campaign containing factually inaccurate information, or which can be proven to be impersonating someone or using the money for some other purpose than was explained, is not only violating the terms and conditions of GoFundMe but is essentially stealing the donor’s money.
Rumors and speculations about a campaign being unsafe are not considered to be breaking any terms of service, but they’re worth checking into for those considering donating. A campaign suspected of being shady doesn’t need to have proof of being shady for others to know it might be better to keep their distance and their money.
Some campaigns may have already reached their goals and are still accepting money. This is not a cause for concern, as long as funds are still being used for the intended purpose.
To prevent scammers from gathering money on the platform, GoFundMe allows the option to report a campaign and possibly get your money back.
All examples of what to look out for are outlined on GoFundMe’s support page concerning safety and security. The page also lists the number to reach customer service if a donor has had any trouble with donating or believes their money is being misused.
Donating to a cause with good intentions can be a very admirable thing to do. It’s essential to look into the cause in question, however, to determine if your money is truly helping.