It’s more important than ever to be on the lookout for scammers. The internet and social media have only made it easier for criminals to try and swindle your hard-earned dollars from you.
Recently, a New Jersey woman was brought to justice after being found guilty of scamming more than 14,000 GoFundMe donors to the tune of $400,000.
Thirty-Two-Year-Old Katelyn McClure Will Be Spending The Next Three Years In State Prison.
Katelyn and her ex-boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, were found guilty of concocting a GoFundMe scam in 2017, wherein they claimed to be helping a homeless veteran in Philadelphia, PA.
The Couple Orchestrated A Story Involving A Homeless Veteran Named Johnny Bobbitt Jr.
McClure and D’Amico claimed that Bobbit Jr. had given them his last $20 for gas after their car broke down on the interstate.
Shortly Afterward, McClure And D’Amico Launched A GoFundMe Campaign, Titled “Paying It Forward.”
McClure and D’amico misled donors into believing that funds were being collected in order to get Bobbit Jr. off the streets and into a home.
The Couple Made Numerous Appearances On Both Local And International News Channels.
The story quickly began to gain traction and McClure and D’Amico quickly began raking in tens of thousands of dollars.
Within A Month, McClure And D’Amico Were Able To Raise $400,000 Across 14,000 Donors.
Only instead of working to help Bobbit Jr. get off the streets, the former couple funneled the funds into their personal accounts.
Over The Course Of The Next Three Months, McClure And D’Amico Squandered Nearly All Of The Money.
The bulk of the cash went towards paying off a laundry list of the couple’s personal expenses.
The Couple Eventually Told Bobbit Jr. About Their Scam.
Up until that point, Bobbit Jr. was unaware of any illicit wrongdoing. He would eventually go on to accept a $25,000 payout from both McClure and D’Amico.
The Scheme Began Unraveling When Bobbit Jr. Got Greedy.
The homeless veteran decided to sue both D’Amico and McClure for withholding funds raised via the GoFundMe campaign.
D’Amico And McClure Then Accused Bobbit Jr. Of Being On Drugs.
The couple claimed that they were withholding funds until such a time arrived that Bobbit Jr. was clean and drug-free.
Police Finally Got Wise To What Was Happening And Brought Charges Against McClure And D’amico.
McClure received a one-year sentence and investigators continued gathering evidence in order to bring further charges.
On Friday, January 6th, 2023, McClure Was Sentenced To An Additional Three Years.
This sentence, she was told, would be served concurrently in addition to her one-year sentence.
McClure, Has Also Been Barred From Working For The State Of New Jersey.
Prior to her conviction, McClure served as a New Jersey Department of Transportation employee.
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McClure Got Off Easy, In Comparison To Her Ex-Boyfriend.
Mark D’Amico was sentenced to five years back in 2019, a sentence that is also running concurrently with a previous federal term.
Both McClure And D’Amico Have Been Ordered to Repay All That They Took From The GoFundMe.
It seems an insurmountable task, but McClure and D’Amico will have plenty of time on their hands to come up with a more honest and transparent business model.
