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‘Despicable’: Woman accused of posing as grieving parent of dead Camp Mystic girl to bilk donors
Deadly flash floods swept the Lone Star State’s Hill Country region on July 4, killing at least 135 people, including 27 people at Camp Mystic.
Among those who perished at the Christian camp outside Hunt, Texas, was Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old counselor remembered by her family for her “contagious joy, countless friends, unending faith, and unimaginable energy.”
While Wendie and Matthew Childress were dealing with the sudden loss of their daughter, a Florida woman was allegedly impersonating the bereaved parents online in an attempt to make a quick buck.
‘This is bottom feeding.’
Maitlin White, a 28-year-old with ties to Crestview, Florida, has been charged with two felony counts of online impersonation. White allegedly pretended to be Matthew Childress and created SpotFund and GoFundMe pages where she solicited public donations to support the fallen teen’s family.
“Using a young woman’s tragic death to scam people is despicable,” wrote Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen.
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Maitlin White. Courtesy of the Office of Harris County Constable Pct 1 Alan Rosen.
Dane Schiller, a spokesman with the constable’s office, told MySA that Childress’ family reported the accounts, which first appeared on the crowdfunding platforms on July 8.
“Right out the gate, they [the family] called it to our attention and said, ‘We have nothing to do with this,'” said Schiller.
Rosen announced on July 11 that his office had launched an investigation into a case where a scammer was pretending to be Matthew Childress. While the fraudulent pages were promptly shut down, Rosen indicated the GoFundMe donation page had already brought in approximately $1,500.
After shutting down the pages, authorities reportedly tracked banking and online records back to White, who Schiller indicated admitted to the fraud scheme on a phone call with officials.
“This is bottom feeding, seeking to exploit people’s emotions and abuse the memory of a young woman who died in such a horrific tragedy all to make a quick and illegal buck,” stated Rosen. “Such cruelty to the family, as well as our entire community will not be tolerated.”
GoFundMe said in a statement obtained by KRIV-TV that it has “zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and bad actors who seek to take advantage of the generosity of others,” adding that they “acted quickly to remove the fundraiser back in July, refund donors, and ban the account from future fundraising on GoFundMe.”
The crowdfunding platform indicated that the alleged fraudster was unable to access the funds.
White, who is reportedly not yet in custody, is hardly the only person who allegedly exploited the tragic flood.
For instance, a number of liberals tried to put a political spin on the deaths of American children, in one case insinuating that the parents of the dead were racists.
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