Prosecutors: Ocean County Woman Claimed 4-Year-Old Son Died Of Cancer In Phony GoFundMe Campaign

From CBS Philadelphia:

By CBS3 Staff

Oct. 9, 2020

OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. (CBS) — A phony GoFundMe campaign has landed an Ocean County woman behind bars. Prosecutors say Holly Garcia, 33, launched a phony campaign, asking for money to pay for her 4-year-old son’s funeral.

Garcia claimed the boy died of cancer. But it turns out Garcia signed away her parental rights and another family adopted him.

The investigation began in June after a couple from Pemberton Township who recently adopted Garcia’s 4-year-old son contacted police to say that his photo was being used in a GoFundMe campaign, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

The campaign was seeking $5,000 for funeral expenses for a child who had reportedly died from cancer, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation revealed that Garcia created the campaign. Further investigation determined that Garcia had created multiple fictitious GoFundMe campaigns seeking money for the following: an urn for her dead son’s ashes; assistance for her 4-year-old son who is going blind in one eye; and a stroller for her two-month old son who was born premature, the BCPO said.

The total amount requested by Garcia through all of the campaigns was $11,350. The campaigns were ended by the company after being notified by law enforcement that they were not legitimate. Garcia did not receive any contributions before they were taken down, the BCPO said.

Read more at CBS Philadelphia