UK man jailed for fake grieving-father fundraisers that raised over £10,000
A UK man was jailed for orchestrating a multi-year fundraising fraud by fabricating a story about his partner's death from Covid-19. He successfully solicited over £10,000 from donors through platforms like GoFundMe and JustGiving.
Why it matters
This case highlights the vulnerability of charitable crowdfunding platforms to emotional manipulation and fraud.
A man from Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, used a heartbreaking story to persuade people to donate more than £10,000 to fake online fundraising appeals. Robert Ashton claimed that his partner had died from Covid-19 and that he was left to raise their children alone. People who believed his story donated money through GoFundMe and JustGiving, hoping to help a father going through a difficult time. But the tragedy he described was fabricated, and dozens of people ended up giving money under false pretences.How did the UK man use fake GoFundMe and JustGiving appealsAccording to Hertfordshire Constabulary, Ashton began creating fake social media accounts in early 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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