Grieving Family's GoFundMe Account Drained

Tuesday, 13 October 2015 06:15

A family from Norwich is reeling after a GoFundMe.com campaign to benefit the children of a man killed in a crash was drained.

RCMP are investigating after a family from Norwich were the victims of a fraudulent GoFundMe.com campaign.

Roger Belanger was killed last summer after a crash in Norwich and he left behind his wife Justine and their two beautiful children. Shortly after his death an acquaintance of Belanger started up a GoFundMe account for the children's college funds which generated $24 035 with donations from 172 people. Rogers's sister Roxanne Belanger tells Heart FM that when the family went to collect the funds they found the accounts had been drained.

"We didn't think too much about the account because we were so consumed with the shock and the loss of my brother and once we realized how much money was being raised we realized that we needed to get the account transferred to my sister's name, and the individual in question didn't act on any of the procedures in place in order for that happen."

Belanger says when they tried to get in touch with the GoFundMe people they were not helpful and by the time they did get back to them all of the money had been withdrawn.

"The GoFundMe people were incredibly unhelpful in getting us the information that we needed, so we were kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place because we couldn't go to the police with our suspicions but then my sister-in-law also wasn't getting access to the account that was rightfully hers."

Roxanne Belanger tells Heart FM they have given up hope that they will ever get that money back however there may be a way to reimburse people who donated.

"So I contacted my Visa company because I donated personally and I was told that because a fraud has taken place I could be reimbursed and that I needed supporting documentation. And so I have requested that documentation from the RCMP officer who is investigating this case."

Belanger says once she gets that documentation she is going to ask everyone who donated to email her so they can possibly get that money back. If you have donated to the GoFundMe account email her at roxanne_belanger@me.com.