A Texas woman admitted she invented a fictional neighbor to promote her parents’ crowdfunding page. GoFundMe responded by shutting the campaign down and refunding every donor.
The woman told the company she created the “Erin” persona because she believed her parents’ story would connect with people if a stranger told it.
Her father, 81-year-old Donald Johnson, had drawn a wave of online attention for delivering lost luggage. His wife, Josephine, has cancer, and the fundraiser drew more than $700,000 in donations.
The page named a neighbor, Erin Howell, as its organizer. NewsNation reported that the organizer was in fact Johnson’s daughter.
GoFundMe told the outlet it received a tip last week that questioned the identity of the person running the campaign.
Company staff then phoned her and asked directly whether Donald and Josephine were her parents. She said they were.
She also told the company that she personally filmed her father making a luggage delivery. She maintained that every other detail on the page was accurate.
GoFundMe then released a statement. “Our Trust & Safety team identified factual misrepresentations, which directly violate our Terms of Service,” it said.
The company added: “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.”
The campaign opened with a first-person account written under the Erin name.
“The other day, I looked out [my] door cam and saw an 81-year-old man slowly and painstakingly carrying my heavy luggage that had been lost on a recent flight up a steep flight of stairs,” the post said.
It continued: “He looked absolutely exhausted, and his steps were heavy with effort.”
The account went on: “It completely broke my heart to see a man of his age doing such intense, grueling physical labor, so I opened my door to meet him and to offer my help.”
According to the post, Johnson told its author that he had spent three years returning lost luggage. The job had added 200,000 miles to his car, which the post said no longer runs reliably.
The post quoted him saying: “It’s the only job that will hire me.”
The page also described the couple’s finances. It said Josephine, Johnson’s wife of 57 years, was in a severe fight against cancer.
“The staggering medical bills, continuous treatments, expensive prescription medications, and everyday costs of living have completely overwhelmed them,” the post read.
The page called Johnson a “deeply proud, selfless, and dedicated husband” and urged the wider community to rally behind him.
“He shouldn’t have to carry this crushing financial and physical weight all by himself anymore,” it read.
Before the removal, Johnson sat down with Fox 4 alongside Josephine.
He said the donations would allow him to retire from deliveries. “I think I’m going to be able to stop working, and that’s amazing,” he told the station.
He added: “So we’re not quite totally over the hump yet, but we’re getting there very quickly.”
Josephine spoke about the support the couple received. “I can face it. I think that’s the big difference,” she said.
She continued: “Some have made comments and they’re praying for us. And it’s just, it’s a joyful feeling.”
GoFundMe has not said whether the removal will bring further action. The company stated that all donors have received refunds.
