Local News
The GoFundMe raised more than $8,000 supposedly to cover funeral costs for a Concord high school senior who died in Florida. All donations were refunded.
Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff
Police are investigating a fraudulent GoFundMe that garnered thousands in donations after the organizer claimed they were raising money for funeral costs for one of the Massachusetts teens who died after a car crash in Florida last week.
Three high school seniors from Concord-Carlisle High School were killed in a car crash Monday night, and a fourth remains in critical condition, according to Superintendent Laurie Hunter. Jimmy McIntosh and Hannah Wasserman died in the crash, while Maisey O’Donnell was pronounced dead later at the hospital.
After the crash, a GoFundMe claiming to raise money for Wasserman’s family began circulating online. Superintendent Hunter said in a letter to the school community that the page did not belong to her family members and had been reported to GoFundMe.
A spokesperson for Concord police confirmed only that the investigation is ongoing.
A spokesperson for GoFundMe said that “at no point did the organizer have access to the funds.” All donors were refunded, and the fundraiser was removed when GoFundMe couldn’t confirm the recipient of the funds.
The page raised more than $8,000, according to WBZ News.
“When there’s an unspeakable tragedy, people have a deep urge to help and provide comfort to those affected – it’s not uncommon for someone to create a GoFundMe to help another individual after a news report,” the spokesperson said. “All funds remained safely held by our payment processors during our review process to help ensure funds were safely delivered to the family.”
The car of high school seniors was traveling in an SUV on U.S. Highway 98 when they collided with a tractor-trailer that was making a U-turn. The two men in the truck were not hurt.
Students took to social media to remember McIntosh, Wasserman, and O’Donnell.
“Our hearts go out to the community after this tragedy. At GoFundMe, being a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority and we are continuing to monitor the platform for any fundraisers related to this incident,” the GoFundMe spokesperson said.
The school district did not respond to a request for an update on the condition of the fourth student Sunday evening.
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