A GoFundMe campaign that had gone viral to raise money for an 81‑year‑old Texas man was removed after the platform discovered that the person who created the page used a false identity.
The fundraiser was set up to help Donald Johnson, who reportedly works as an independent contractor to pay for his wife’s cancer treatment. The page was posted by a woman who identified herself as a concerned neighbour named Erin Howell, claiming she had seen Johnson carrying heavy luggage and was moved to help. In a recorded call, however, the woman revealed that she was actually Donald’s daughter, Amy Johnson, and that she had fabricated the neighbour identity to make the story more compelling.
GoFundMe’s Trust & Safety team found the misrepresentation to be a direct violation of its Terms of Service. The company removed the page and refunded all donations, stating that protecting donors and maintaining the platform’s integrity was its top priority. Amy later explained the situation on GiveSendGo, saying she had used her existing GoFundMe account to launch the campaign and that the name on the page was updated after the discrepancy was flagged.
As of 28 September, Amy’s GiveSendGo page had raised more than $48,000. She insists the story is true, citing her mother’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis, the high medical bills, and her father’s continued work delivering luggage. She also confirmed that a neighbour had sent a DoorCam video of Johnson climbing stairs, which was used in the original campaign. The GoFundMe page is no longer available, but the GiveSendGo fundraiser continues to run.
