HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday, along with 23 Attorneys General and charitable regulators, sent a letter to GoFundMe, after reports that GoFundMe — in efforts to maximize profits — plagiarized donation web pages for charities nationwide without their prior knowledge or consent.
In the letter, the coalition shares their concerns about GoFundMe’s misconduct and calls for immediate remedial measures, including providing proof that GoFundMe has removed all unauthorized donation web pages — in the next 14 days.
“GoFundMe provides families and communities with the ability to raise money in times of need, but these many unauthorized postings with solicitations confuse donors, while also harming the charities who did not give consent,” Attorney General Sunday said. “These unauthorized pages can result in donations not reaching the donors’ intended recipients. Full transparency is absolutely necessary on online platforms soliciting and advertising donations.”
GoFundMe provides an online platform for people to fundraise and solicit donations, including for charities. GoFundMe is a for-profit Delaware corporation headquartered in California and is registered with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers as a charitable fundraising platform.
Reports alleged that, without prior consent or knowledge of charities, GoFundMe plagiarized donation web pages for over 1.4 million charities. The donation pages contained inaccurate information about charities and GoFundMe’s solicitations contained deceptive and misleading acts.
In the letter, the coalition raises potential violation by GoFundMe under numerous state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws and demands that GoFundMe take the following actions immediately:
- Provide proof that GoFundMe has removed all unauthorized donation web pages.
- Disclose all information that affects a person’s decision to donate, such as who donations were made to in lieu of the charities GoFundMe plagiarized.
- Explain how GoFundMe ensured its donation web pages did not display in internet search results above a charity’s official web sites or fundraising campaigns.
Any consumers who believe they may have been misled by a GoFundMe charitable donation should file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General online, by calling 1-800-441-2555, or by emailing sc***@*************al.gov.
