GoFundMe Pulls $700K Fundraiser After Discovering Campaign Was Run by Daughter, Not Neighbor
The platform cited 'factual misrepresentations' after the daughter admitted to posing as a neighbor to boost donations for her father's wife's medical bills.
A GoFundMe campaign that raised over $700,000 for an 81-year-old Texas man to help pay his wife's medical bills has been shut down due to "factual misrepresentations." The crowdfunding platform pulled the fundraiser after discovering that the campaign was not, as claimed, started by a concerned neighbor but by the man's own daughter.
Donald Johnson, 81, and his wife Josephine had been the subject of a viral story that depicted Johnson working as a delivery driver to cover escalating medical costs for Josephine's cancer treatments. The GoFundMe appeal, initially attributed to a neighbor named Erin Howell, described seeing Johnson struggle to carry heavy luggage up stairs and highlighted his dedication to his wife of 57 years.
GoFundMe's Trust & Safety team received a tip questioning the identity of the campaign organizer. Upon direct contact, the daughter admitted that she had created the "Erin Howell" persona because she believed the story would resonate more if it came from a stranger. She maintained that while she misrepresented her identity, the core details about her parents' situation were accurate. She also stated that she filmed her father delivering lost luggage herself.
"Our Trust & Safety team identified factual misrepresentations, which directly violate our Terms of Service," GoFundMe said in a statement. "As a result, the fundraiser has been removed and all donors have been refunded. Ensuring GoFundMe is a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority."
The original campaign post described Johnson as "deeply proud, selfless, and dedicated," urging the community to help alleviate the "crushing financial and physical weight" he carried. It detailed how the couple had been overwhelmed by medical bills, treatments, and daily living expenses, forcing Johnson to work at an age when he should be resting with his wife.
Johnson had previously expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support, telling Fox4 News that the donations would allow him to stop working. "I think I'm going to be able to stop working, and that's amazing," he said. His wife, Josephine, added, "I can face it. I think that's the big difference."