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Fake GoFundMe raises $5,000 after teen dies in Florida crash

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Dr. Laurie Hunter, superintendent of the Concord-Carlisle Regional School District, warned families that the fraudulent fundraiser had no connection to Hannah Wasserman's relatives and was falsely listed under a student's name. The crash tragically killed three students, including Wasserman, and left a fourth critically injured. After community members reported the unauthorized activity, the fundraising platform suspended donations and took down the page. GoFundMe's payment processor is currently holding the money while its Trust and Safety team completes a formal inquiry.

Key points

  • School officials emphasized that support efforts require full consent from the families a…: School officials emphasized that support efforts require full consent from the families affected by the tragedy.
  • The listed student owner of the online fundraiser was not actually responsible for creati…: The listed student owner of the online fundraiser was not actually responsible for creating the unauthorized campaign.
  • Donors are covered under the platform's Giving Guarantee policy, which protects contribut…: Donors are covered under the platform's Giving Guarantee policy, which protects contributors from the misuse of funds.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

A fake GoFundMe campaign claiming to collect funeral expenses for a Massachusetts teenager killed in a Florida car crash raised thousands of dollars before it was removed from the platform in April 2025. The fundraiser was created without the permission of the victim’s family and falsely presented itself as an effort to support them following the tragedy. The incident prompted a warning from school officials, raised concerns about online fundraising during emergencies and led GoFundMe to suspend donations while it investigated the campaign.

Fake GoFundMe exploit the tragedy involving Hannah Wasserman

The fraudulent fundraising page appeared online shortly after three seniors from Concord-Carlisle High School in Massachusetts died in a crash during their spring break in Florida. It claimed to be raising money to help cover funeral expenses for 18-year-old Hannah Wasserman, one of the students killed in the accident.

According to CBS Boston, the campaign appeared on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, and had reportedly collected more than $8,000 by Wednesday. The fundraiser was presented as a way to assist Wasserman's family with funeral costs, but school officials subsequently confirmed…

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