GoFundMe Shuts Down Campaign for Texas Man After Daughter Admits to False Identity

A viral GoFundMe campaign raising money for an 81-year-old man has been shut down amid concerns over the identity of the original poster.

The campaign was set up to raise money for Donald Johnson, a Texas man seen hauling suitcases to pay for his wife’s cancer treatment. The person behind the fundraising page identified herself as a supposed concerned neighbor named Erin Howell.

However, the fundraising website told NewsNation that, during a recorded call, “Erin” revealed that she was actually the daughter of Donald and his wife, Josephine. Donald’s daughter, Amy, told GoFundMe that she invented the false identity because she thought her father’s story would resonate with more people if it appeared to come from a stranger.

Amy identified herself on GiveSendGo, where she shared her side of the story.

“That page was originally set up on my account because it was already established and we thought that would be the simplest way,” she claimed, referring to the GoFundMe page. “When the name on the page was updated, GoFundMe treated it as a discrepancy. We offered documentation. They refunded the donations anyway.”

The GiveSendGo fundraiser has already raised over $48,000, as of September 28. ​Meanwhile, GoFundMe says the money raised during the campaign on their website had been refunded to donors.

“Our Trust & Safety team identified factual misrepresentations, which directly violates our Terms of Service,” a GoFundMe spokesperson told The Independent. “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,” the spokesperson continued. “Taking action like this allows GoFundMe to protect donors’ generosity and our continued ability to support people who are fundraising to help others.”

GoFundMe has taken down the original fundraising campaign from its website. On that page, Erin claimed that she spoke with Donald and learned that he began working as an independent contractor three years ago to support his wife through her cancer battle.

“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,” she claimed on the now-removed page, reviewed by The Independent. “He looked absolutely exhausted, and his steps were heavy with effort.”

The page continued by saying that the money raised would go towards medical bills, allowing Donald to support his wife of 57 years.

In a video posted to TikTok, Amy explained more about the incident, stating that a neighbor sent the viral footage of Donald climbing the stairs to his family.

“We got an email from a neighbor who sent us a DoorCam video and who wanted to stay anonymous, but wanted to help,” Amy said. “And so, we all decided that using my GoFundMe was a good idea, just because it was a real account.”

On her GiveSendGo page, Amy addressed concerns about the nature of her father’s story - insisting that the story is true.

“My mom has pancreatic cancer. The bills are high. My dad is 81 and still works delivering luggage so they can stay afloat,” Amy said. “The neighbor story is real. The doorcam video is real. The diagnosis is real. The job is real.”