A GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $745,000 for an elderly man and his wife has suddenly been removed.
GoFundMe has refunded all donations heading to an 81-year-old man after discovering that the person running the fundraiser had allegedly misrepresented her identity.
The campaign sought donations for Donald Johnson, a man from The Colony, Texas, who had gone viral after footage showed him delivering lost luggage while continuing to work to help pay for his wife's pancreatic cancer treatment. The fundraiser attracted widespread attention before GoFundMe's Trust & Safety team recently investigated a tip about the organizer's identity.
The fundraiser was said to be organized by a neighbor named "Erin Howell." However, the woman behind the account was actually Johnson's daughter, Amy Johnson.
Daughter Was Behind The Fundraiser
GoFundMe said it received a tip questioning the organizer's identity on September 25. The company's Trust & Safety team later contacted the organizer on a recorded call and asked whether Donald and his wife, Josephine, were her parents.
According to GoFundMe, she confirmed that they were and acknowledged that she was Amy Johnson rather than the neighbor she had claimed to be. Johnson reportedly told the company that she created the neighbor persona because she believed the family's story would resonate more strongly if it appeared to come from a stranger.
The fundraiser, known as "HelpDonRetire," had gained traction online in the past week. The story resonated with thousands of people, allowing the campaign to collect more than $745,000 before it was taken down.
GoFundMe's investigation found "factual misrepresentations" that violated its Terms of Service. A statement from the company reads as follows:
Our Trust & Safety team identified factual misrepresentations, which directly violate our Terms of Service. 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. Taking action like this allows GoFundMe to protect donors’ generosity and our continued ability to support people who are fundraising to help others.
Amy Johnson Defends Her Actions
Following the campaign's suspension, Amy Johnson posted an update on the fundraiser's TikTok. She asserted that the footage of her father carrying luggage up a flight of stairs came from a "kind neighbor who wanted to help.
Johnson also claims GoFundMe"wanted the heat off of them" and that "things were twisted and said that weren't accurate." Importantly, she affirms that the name mismatch was her only wrongdoing, and that her dad's story remains true.
Amy Johnson has now launched another fundraiser on GiveSendGo. This time, she has openly identified herself as Donald and Josephine's daughter. Johnson also maintains that her mother's pancreatic cancer diagnosis, her father's age, and his work delivering luggage are genuine. The new fundraiser has a $100,000 goal.