How GoFundMe protects donors from fraudulent campaigns

GoFundMe is dedicated to empowering people to help people and we do this by carefully reviewing each campaign on our platform. An overwhelming majority of campaigns on the site are safe and legitimate, as fraudulent campaigns make up less than one-tenth of 1% of all campaigns on GoFundMe.

In the rare instance that someone does create a misleading campaign with the intention of taking advantage of others’ generosity, GoFundMe takes swift action to resolve the issue.

Our policy is simple and strictly enforced: it is not permitted to lie or intentionally deceive donors on GoFundMe for financial or personal gain.

Examples of expressly forbidden fraudulent activity

Breaking the law
Lying or being misleading about your identity as a campaign organiser or your relationship to the ultimate recipient of the funds
Posting misleading statements in the campaign story

We rely on the GoFundMe community to let us know if there is suspicion that a campaign organiser is involved in any of the examples of fraud above. To report a campaign for potential fraud, please contact us.

Examples that are not considered to be fraudulent activity

Sometimes, there are situations that may raise questions but are not considered examples of fraudulent activity on our platform. These include:

Speculation of fraud or rumours that the campaign is a scam
Images or names of individuals being used without permission of the family
Disagreement around the nature of the campaign or the character of the campaign organiser
Campaigns that have surpassed their goal but are still raising funds
Custody or familial disputes or disagreements
Multiple campaigns set up for one purpose or for the same beneficiary

GoFundMe cooperates with the law enforcement and provides them with any information needed in an investigation. If you are a law enforcement officer looking to contact our team, you can reach us here.