Last week, 31-year-old San Antonio firefighter Scott Deem died fighting a massive blaze at a shopping center; the search and rescue team entered the burning building believing there may have been people still inside. His wife Jennifer is pregnant with their third child.
Within hours of the announcement of Deem’s death, at least one fraudulent GoFundMe campaign had been established. It’s since been taken down, an archive has been saved here.
The campaign, belonging to a Joshua Davies in San Antonio, merely copies a news story about the tragic fire, and makes absolutely no mention whatsoever as to what will happen to the money nor what connection this person has to the family.
The proper way to organize a campaign on someone else’s behalf is to name the proper person as beneficiary of the funds (no doubt in this case that would be Deem’s wife). The now-removed campaign fails to do so, meaning all funds raised would go directly to the campaign organizer.
We found another campaign organized by a Sara Nelson which has also been removed, no cache could be located.
A third campaign started by a family friend is acknowledged as “legitimate” by the family, however has been removed as of press time.
Fox San Antonio reports that the family reached out to them to alert them of phony GoFundMe campaigns, and requests donations be made solely to a fund established at Generations Federal Credit Union. Money raised through that fund benefits the family of Scott Deem as well as firefighters Brad Phipps and Robert Vasquez, who were severely injured in the Ingram Square fire.
