A person has created a fake fundraiser claiming to be the friend of a victim, a "mother" killed during the Lapu Lapu festival attack in Vancouver.
Eleven people were killed and more than two dozen were injured when a lone driver allegedly drove a black Audi SUV through a crowd of people attending a
Since then, family members and friends have been sharing memories and fundraisers of their loved ones online.
One fundraiser tried to claim a "mother" named Reyna Dela Pena was killed. A spokesperson with GoFundMe confirmed this fundraiser is a scam.
Since being flagged, the fundraiser has been removed from the platform.
“All donations have been refunded and the organizer has been banned from any future fundraising,” said a spokesperson.
The organizer of the fake fundraiser did not have access to the funds at "any point."
"GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and takes swift action against those who seek to take advantage of the generosity of our community,” said the spokesperson.
The woman who allegedly created the fake fundraiser used the first name "diana." As of April 29, a total of $57,610 had been raised.
Vancouver police were asked about scam fundraisers during a press conference on April 30 but they said they couldn't confirm the fundraisers due to victim privacy reasons.
"We are just asking people to be aware, be mindful that fraud could happen,” said Const. Tania Visintin.
GoFundMe is the official source to verify fundraisers, she said, not police.
