Mother's Photo Used in Fake GoFundMe Campaign Raises Red Flags

A Burlington woman, Julie Cole, is trying to make sense of a fake GoFundMe campaign that used a 16-year-old photo of her six children, claiming they were victims of the Texas floods. The campaign had a donation goal of $40,000 and was active for three days before Cole reported it to GoFundMe, leading to its swift removal. The incident has left Cole's family feeling uneasy and raises concerns about the misuse of personal photos on social media.

Key Takeaways:

• The fake GoFundMe campaign used a 16-year-old photo of Julie Cole's six children, claiming they were victims of the Texas floods.
• The campaign had a donation goal of $40,000 and was active for three days before Cole reported it to GoFundMe.
• Cole's children felt "uneasy" when they learned their photo was used in the campaign, highlighting the impact of such incidents on families.
• The campaign was removed within 24 hours of Cole reporting it to GoFundMe.
• At least 115 people have died in the Texas floods, with more than 160 still missing.
• 27 deaths are of campers and counsellors from an all-girls summer camp.

Statistics:

• The Texas floods have killed at least 115 people, with 27 of those deaths being campers and counsellors from an all-girls summer camp (Source:
• Over 160 people are still believed to be missing in the floods (Source:
• The campaign had a donation goal of $40,000 (Source:
• The campaign was active for three days before Cole reported it to GoFundMe (Source:

Sources:

• "A Burlington woman is searching for answers after a photo of her six children was used for a GoFundMe campaign that attempted to raise funds for victims of the Texas floods." - The Star

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