A man from Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, used a heartbreaking story to persuade people to donate more than £10,000 to fake online fundraising appeals.
asserted
man → use → appeals
Robert Ashton claimed that his partner had died from Covid-19 and that he was left to raise their children alone.
asserted
he → claim → children
People who believed his story donated money through GoFundMe and JustGiving, hoping to help a father going through a difficult time.
asserted
who → believe → time
But the tragedy he described was fabricated, and dozens of people ended up giving money under false pretences.
asserted
dozens → describe → pretences
How did the UK man use fake GoFundMe and JustGiving appeals
According to Hertfordshire Constabulary, Ashton began creating fake social media accounts in early 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
uncertain
Ashton → use → pandemic
He presented himself as a father who had lost his partner, the mother of his children, to the virus and was struggling to cope with the financial pressure of raising his family alone.
asserted
who → present → family
He directed people to fundraising pages on GoFundMe and JustGiving, asking for money to help cover bills and support his children.
asserted
He → direct → children
The claims appealed to people who wanted to help a family they believed was dealing with bereavement and financial hardship.
uncertain
they → appeal → bereavement
However, the story was fabricated.
asserted
story → fabricate → ?
Instead of raising money for the reasons described in the appeals, Ashton obtained donations by misleading people about his personal circumstances.
asserted
Ashton → raise → circumstances
His activity continued over several years, eventually bringing in more than £10,000.
The human cost of the fundraising fraud
The impact went beyond the amount collected.
asserted
impact → continue → amount
Hertfordshire Constabulary reported that dozens of people had been affected, with many donors being elderly or vulnerable.
asserted
donors → report → people
Some could barely afford to give away the money they contributed.
uncertain
they → afford → money
The donors believed they were helping a bereaved parent and his children during an exceptionally difficult period.
asserted
they → believe → period
Discovering that the story was false meant that their generosity had been exploited.
asserted
generosity → discover → ?
The case also demonstrated how emotional appeals can influence people's decisions.
asserted
appeals → demonstrate → decisions
Stories involving the death of a loved one, struggling families and children in need can encourage people to donate quickly, particularly when they believe their contribution will make an immediate difference.
asserted
contribution → involve → difference
Police also warned that there might be further victims who had not reported their experiences or had not realised they had been deceived.
uncertain
they → warn → experiences
Ashton received a prison sentence for his actions
asserted
Ashton → receive → actions
Ashton, who was 37 at the time of sentencing and lived in Pascal Way, Letchworth Garden City, pleaded guilty to fraud.
asserted
who → live → fraud
On 5 December 2023, St Albans Crown Court sentenced him to 12 weeks in prison and ordered him to pay £290 in compensation to victims, according to Hertfordshire Constabulary.
uncertain
Court → sentence → Constabulary
The sentence followed a scheme that had taken advantage of people's willingness to help someone they believed was facing personal tragedy.
asserted
they → follow → tragedy
Although individual donations may have seemed small, together they amounted to more than £10,000.
uncertain
they → seem → 10,000
Police urged anyone who believed they had been affected by similar fraud to report it to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting service for fraud and cybercrime.
asserted
they → urge → fraud
Reporting suspected scams can help authorities identify patterns of offending and establish whether other people have suffered losses.
asserted
people → report → losses
How crowdfunding platforms work to prevent fraudulent appeals
Crowdfunding platforms give people a way to support individuals, families and causes by collecting donations online.
asserted
platforms → work → donations
However, the ease of setting up and sharing a fundraising page can also create opportunities for people to misrepresent their circumstances.
asserted
people → set → circumstances
GoFundMe explains that misleading information about an organiser, the intended recipient or the purpose of a fundraiser can raise concerns.
asserted
information → explain → concerns
The platform encourages people to report suspicious campaigns so they can be reviewed.
asserted
they → encourage → campaigns
It also describes safeguards intended to help protect donations.
asserted
It → describe → donations
These include identity checks and reviews of fundraising activity by its Trust and Safety team, particularly when organisers prepare to withdraw money.
asserted
organisers → include → money
Such measures can help identify problems, but donors should still examine an appeal carefully.
asserted
donors → help → appeal
A convincing personal story alone does not establish that the organiser's claims are genuine or that donations will be used as promised.
uncertain
donations → establish → ?
What donors should do when a fundraising page looks suspicious
JustGiving provides advice for people who have concerns about a crowdfunding page.
asserted
who → look → page
Its official guidance recommends contacting the page owner for clarification where appropriate.
asserted
guidance → recommend → clarification
If the information appears misleading or the money may not be used for the stated purpose, the platform can be contacted to review the concern.
uncertain
platform → appear → concern
Before contributing, donors should check who organised the appeal, who will receive the money and how the funds are expected to be spent.
asserted
funds → contribute → money
The Aporia
