GoFundMe Highlights Safeguards After Alleged $400K Scam

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ - Days before the homeless vet at the center of the alleged $400,000 GoFundMe scam is scheduled to be sentenced, the online fundraising group highlighted the safeguards it has in place to ensure a similar scam never happens.

GoFundMe Chairman and CEO Rob Solomon told NBC News its safeguards would ensure the money never leaves the building until they could figure out how to get the money directly to the beneficiary.

GoFundMe has a “Trust and Safety Team” in place that works on detecting fraud around the clock, Solomon told the news station. He pointed to a recent fraud attempt following the March 15 mosque shootings in New Zealand, in which the team prevented the campaign from ever being shared.

"There are always new things to learn from each situation," a GofFundMe spokesperson said in an email to Patch Thursday morning. "We've always had this team in place and the guarantee which is why the donors were protected and refunded."

The organization clarified that the team has always existed, and "it's not new in the wake of this unique case. This was an opportunity to take Nightly News behind the scenes of our Trust and Safety team."

GoFundMe reminds users that it isn’t possible to find every case of fraud, but it does have a guarantee in place that in the case of fraud, those who donate are reimbursed. GoFundMe refunded all those who donated to the "Paying It Forward" campaign.

“It’s important to understand that misuse is very rare on our platform,” GoFundMe says. “Campaigns with misuse make up less than one tenth of one percent of all campaigns. We have a zero tolerance policy for fraudulent behavior. If fraud occurs, donors get refunded, and we work with law enforcement officials to recover the money. One fraudulent campaign is one too many, but when it does take place, we take action to protect donors. To learn more about our refund policy, the GoFundMe Guarantee, please visit www.gofundme.com/guarantee.”

Johnny Bobbitt Jr. was the stated beneficiary of a high-profile "Paying It Forward" campaign that raised $400,000 for the veteran who was living on the streets in Philadelphia after he supposedly helped a Burlington County woman whose car broke down on I-95.

However, he then claimed he never saw most of the money, and an ensuing investigation ended with Bobbitt, Kate McClure and Mark D’Amico being charged with conspiracy and theft by deception.

Last month, Bobbitt pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to commit theft by deception in exchange for acceptance into the Burlington County vicinage's drug court program, authorities said.

His sentencing remains on schedule for Friday morning, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities previously said he will be placed on special probation for a period of up to five years while he fulfills the requirements of the program.

He will receive an alternate sentence of five years in New Jersey state prison if he fails to comply with the conditions imposed in drug court, authorities said.

He and McClure have also pleaded guilty to charges in federal court. Only D’Amico has yet to enter a guilty plea in the case, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“It’s important to understand that misuse is very rare on our platform,” GoFundMe says. “Campaigns with misuse make up less than one tenth of one percent of all campaigns. We have a zero tolerance policy for fraudulent behavior. If fraud occurs, donors get refunded, and we work with law enforcement officials to recover the money. One fraudulent campaign is one too many, but when it does take place, we take action to protect donors. To learn more about our refund policy, the GoFundMe Guarantee, please visit www.gofundme.com/guarantee.”

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