ASAN – The Office of the Prosecutor Kane Buckston announced that it is “taking a action” on Monday that is investigating the “GOFUNDME Campaign”, which collects money for relief from Independence Day. Meanwhile, the donation regulator told KXAN that there was no fraud “at all” and denied any violations.
The Pakston Office issued a warning letter to Tay Coppola, from Austin, as part of Oag’s efforts to close the fraudsters who seek to benefit from those affected by the tragic floods in Texas, “according to A. Monday news statement.
“Mr. Coppola has operated the Gofundme campaign, which did not appear as one of the collection of fillets associated with GOFUNDME and provided information related to how to exchange money in a way that could be misleading to some shareholders-eliminating this investigation and the message that is sent,” one of the speakers of Paxtun to the Paxtun office by e-mail.
The warning letter from Coppola requires the preservation of documents and evidence, stop its campaign and re -donate. The Pakston office will use all legal treatments-civil penalties, response and restless orders that have ordered the court-to obtain compliance, the press statement explains.
All this was news to Coppola, when KXAN arrived on Monday.
Coppola said that he had nothing at that stage of the Pakston office, nor any other agency, about the fundraising efforts. He said that he raised a total of $ 60, and he has already resolved the donation collection page during the end weekend because of the opposition he felt by parents at his daughter’s school in West Austin Elementary on this effort.
Coppola said that there was no fraud, and no laws were broken, and no effort was made to deceive people on, and “the goal behind actions was really helping.”
“There are killers, there is rapists, and there is sex smuggling throughout Texas, and you are coming after a black family trying to help everyone throughout the state of Texas that are affected.” “I am terrified” that Paxon will issue the press statement “with no legal procedures.”
Flood pays severe relief efforts and donations
Paxon’s office generally urged the public to be careful of fraud and fraud targeting people who are trying to help after the floods during the weekend caused in cities and Riferside homes throughout the country of Hill and central Texas. As of July 15, at least 131 people have been killed and another 101 is still missing in half a decorate of provinces.
The deaths, injuries, and damage of destroyed property were reported in Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, Tarvis and Williamson. The worst success was CARE province, as the flash floods torn in the early morning hours of July 4, and invaded CabinSleepay All-Girls camp, killing more than one of the two captains and young advisers.
The tragedy has sparked tremendous relief efforts and donations from all over the state and the country. The Community Corporation in Texas Hill Control has announced that it had raised $ 30 million in less than a week Distribute $ 5 million In granting emergency to non -profit organizations that help recover.
Coppola said the scope of damage and tragedy led him to create the Goundme page. While raising only $ 60, which was finally recovered, he set the goal of collecting $ 2 million, which is a “large number”, as he admitted.
“I have reached this number, which, to be honest with you, is not enough to look at all the victims, all the survivors, all of whom are affected, will not be two million to be sufficient, but that will be the beginning of reaching the largest possible number of people all over the state.”
He presented screenshots to KXAN, which displays his messages with Gofundment to order the page removal and recover donations on July 13, a day before the press statement of PaXTon.
Coppola strongly denied any fraud or intention to deceive people and noticed that his true information was on the goundme page.
He said: “The people who dig, do not spread their real name and true image.” “I had my real name, my true picture.”
KXAN examined the Coppola background, which showed a brush with the law nearly a decade in Georgia. Coppola acknowledged that he was guilty in 2016 in a fraud case related to a bad examination. It was classified as a first crime, and he served three years in prison, according to Douglas County records.
Since then, he has not had any similar problems. KXAN told that he took the Georgia case for a family member, accepting the repercussions of their actions, and never believed that it would reach this extent. He served time and resolved the case “completely”.
Coppola added that the Georgia case was old, and it has no association with Pakston’s allegations.
Before the start of the campaign online, Coppola said he had traveled to Ker County in the wake of the floods and was “able to help a total of 10 families with direct cash help.”
Collective chat reaction
Before receiving any official notice or warning, Coppola said that he fell the GoFundme page during the weekend due to the reaction he received in a group chat with parents at his daughter’s primary school in West Austin.
He said that the parents have disturbed his approach to requesting donations to all people who suffer from deities throughout the state and who have not been covered or talked about in the same way that the Mystic camp was.
COPPOLA also shared screenshots for text messages that show that it shows his efforts to promote the GoFundme page in a group chat, saying that he was trying to raise funds for “more than just the affected Mystic. Most people with mystic are covered, we covered those that are not covered or spoken.”
In response, one of the people said that Coppola’s approach – the way he formulated his efforts to help people outside the Mystic camp – was “completely inappropriate and not sensitive.”
It is not exactly what Coppola was placed in Crosshairs Paxtu and is subject to access to the official -elected press statement at the state level. KXAN asked his office about the complaints that prompted the warning and investigation letter, but they did not answer this question. KXAN requesting complaints that led to Paxon’s investigation – which is still suspended.
Pakston office organizations and consumers, such as the best business office, are widespread in public, warning of consumer fraud and donation fraud. They have said that the desire to help, for example, by sending a donation, could make people ignore red flags that may alert them to doubtful charities and collect donations.
Consumer warning
Jason Miza, Better Business Office, told KXAN about emerging frauds such as cloned websites, switching bank account links, and criminals sections who infiltrate comments sections in dead stories to ignore potential donors.
“AI allows online criminals to accelerate now the process of creating a coach robot.” “Once they ascended or created personal files and put them on these platforms, they are quickly downloaded, and they move to another. They migrate very quickly.”
BBB warns of emotional calls, collect donations using names similar to well -known charities, collect donations that reveal little information, and immediately require donations that press you immediately.
Fraud operations can be reportedBBB’s Scam Tracker. Consumers can also inform them to the Public Prosecutor’s Officehere.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has advice and information aboutDisaster fraud hereUnder:
- warningCars that have harmed floods.
- Recommendations onContractors from door to door.
Additional tips and resources:
- Do not deliver money or provide personal banking information such as account, credit card or social security numbers.
- Charitable societies research before donation. Two tools to verify accreditation dataCharitywatchandGuidestarWhich maintains the tax authority data on non -profit organizations.
- Do not trust the names or phone numbers, which can be fake.
- Watch out for script requests for donations, which are also called “Smishing”.
- Enter your name in Texas, do not contact the record (by visitinghttps://www.texasnocall.comOr by calling the free number on the number 1-888-309-0600) and nationalism do not contact the registration, through the visitwww.donotcall.govOr by free call to 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236).