GoFundMe Pulls $700K Fundraiser After Daughter Posed as Neighbor

A GoFundMe campaign that amassed over $700,000 for an 81-year-old Texas delivery driver has been shut down due to "factual misrepresentations," according to the fundraising platform. The organizer, who identified herself as a neighbor named "Erin Howell," was revealed to be the daughter of Donald Johnson and his wife, Josephine.

GoFundMe's Trust & Safety team removed the fundraiser after being alerted to the organizer's true identity. Amy Johnson, the couple's daughter, told NewsNation that she adopted the persona because she believed her parents' story would resonate more with donors if presented by someone outside the family. She maintained that all other details of the campaign, including her father's job, her mother's pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and their financial struggles, were accurate.

Donald Johnson began working as an independent contractor delivering lost luggage to customers' homes three years ago, shortly after his wife was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. He reportedly worked 14-hour days and drove hundreds of miles daily to help cover medical bills, accumulating over 200,000 miles on his vehicle, which had developed mechanical issues.

Despite Amy Johnson's insistence on the veracity of the circumstances, GoFundMe stated that misrepresenting an organizer's identity or relationship to the beneficiary violates its terms of service, irrespective of intent. "Ensuring GoFundMe is a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority," the platform said in a statement. All donors to the now-removed campaign have been refunded.

Following the deactivation of the GoFundMe page, Amy Johnson launched a new fundraiser on GiveSendGo on Saturday. In the new campaign description, she addressed the controversy, reiterating that her mother's diagnosis, her father's job, and their financial needs are real. She explained that the GoFundMe was initially set up on her existing account for simplicity, and that changing the name on the page was interpreted as a discrepancy by the platform, leading to the refunds despite attempts to provide documentation.

The GiveSendGo fundraiser had raised more than $45,000 towards a $100,000 goal as of Monday. Amy Johnson expressed gratitude for the support shown, emphasizing that the funds are intended to directly support her mother's care and assist her father.