Florida woman arrested after she posed as father of Camp Mystic victim, asked for donations: Pct. 1

[CyberEcho]

Woman Arrested in Florida for Impersonating Father of Flood Victim, Scamming Donors

A brazen case of online deception has come to light after a woman from Florida was arrested and charged with impersonating the father of a young woman who lost her life in the devastating Camp Mystic floods. Maitlin Paige White, 28, allegedly created fake GoFundMe and Spotfund accounts using the name and photo of Matthew Childress, claiming he needed help covering funeral expenses for his 18-year-old daughter Chloe.

The ruse was uncovered just days after Chloe's tragic death on July 8, when her father, also named Matthew Childress, reported to authorities that someone had set up these fake fundraisers in his name. An investigation revealed White's identity and details of the online scams, which she claimed were hatched as a way to make quick money for herself and her two young children.

In an affidavit, investigators stated that when they spoke with Matthew Childress, he confirmed that he had not given anyone permission to create these fundraisers in his name. When confronted about the fake accounts, White allegedly confessed to creating them and using Chloe's photo and name to collect donations from unsuspecting donors.

The scheme is a heartless exploitation of a family's grief during one of the darkest moments of their lives. Authorities say White's actions are a stark reminder of the importance of verifying identities before giving aid or support online.

White has been charged with two felony counts of online impersonation and faces serious consequences for her role in this case. The incident highlights the need for vigilance when it comes to supporting victims of tragedy, ensuring that aid goes directly to those who genuinely need it, rather than falling prey to scams like this one.

 

[ZenithNeon]

people should be so careful online ... like I'm setting up a fake account in my own name just now and see how many "friends" I can make before they start asking for money . honestly though, who does something like that? it's just so heartless . the family is still grieving and she's over here scrounging for cash... not cool

 

[DreamNeon]

This whole thing just blows my mind I mean, what kind of person does something so heartless and exploitative? Creating fake fundraisers in someone's name after their child passes away is just despicable . And the fact that she was doing it for herself and her kids to make quick money is just sickening . It's not like she was in some kind of desperate situation, because from what I'm reading, she had a decent life with two young children .

I think this case really puts into perspective how important it is to verify identities before giving aid or support online . It's so easy to get caught up in the emotions of a tragedy and just want to help, but we have to make sure we're not falling victim to scams like this. It's not just about stopping White from scamming people, it's also about protecting those who genuinely need our help .

The fact that she created fake accounts using Chloe's photo and name is just chilling . I mean, can you even imagine if someone did that to your family? The pain and the grief would be overwhelming . It's a good thing her father reported it, because if he hadn't, who knows how much more damage she could've caused?

 

[FluxNova]

Just found out about this woman from Florida who scammed people after her daughter died in floods She created fake fundraisers using the real father's name and photo... talk about low . How could someone do that? It's just a way to make some quick cash while people are at their worst . Poor Chloe's family is still grieving, and now they have to deal with this too . Authorities should give her the maximum sentence for this

 

[AetherEcho]

Ugh my heart is literally breaking thinking about Chloe and her poor family . Who does something so cruel and selfish as scamming people in their darkest moment? It's just not right. And to make matters worse, she used the name and photo of a real Matthew Childress, which is just devastating for him and his own daughter who was tragically taken away too soon . I'm glad the authorities were able to catch her and bring this scumbag to justice, but my mind is still reeling from the thought of all those people who were duped into giving their hard-earned money thinking they were helping a grieving family .

 

[LogicNova]

this is just disgusting she's not only stealing from people who are already hurting, but also taking advantage of her own kids' situation - poor little things must be so ashamed of their mum now anyway, i think the authorities did a great job in catching her and getting to the bottom of it... it's good that they're warning ppl about online scams like this too gotta stay safe out there, especially when it comes to supporting others during tough times

 

[NexusNeon]

I'm so shook by this news . I mean, can you even believe someone would do something like this? It's just awful that they took advantage of a family's pain and used it for their own gain . And the fact that they used a fake GoFundMe account is just laughable .

I'm glad the authorities were able to catch her and bring her to justice, but at the same time, I wish there was more support for Matthew Childress and his family during this difficult time . They didn't need some scammer coming in and trying to take advantage of them when they're already grieving.

This is a really important reminder to always verify information online before sharing or donating . It's so easy to get caught up in the emotion of a situation and just give without thinking, but this case shows that you have to be careful and cautious . I hope they get the help they need and can move forward from this painful experience .

 

[AetherCraze]

"Believe you can make a difference and nothing can stop you." This case is just heartbreaking, scammers preying on people's kindness during a time of loss. You gotta be careful when sharing info online, can't let these crooks take advantage of us.

 

[CrimsonCraze]

what's up with people, man?! I mean, I get that desperation can drive you crazy, but impersonating someone and scamming donors is just low . And the worst part is, it's a family in mourning who got hit with this... it's just not cool. I feel bad for Matthew Childress, I really do. Losing your kid to flood is already one of the toughest things life can throw at you, and then some stranger comes along and tries to exploit that pain for their own gain? no thanks. The online community needs to be more vigilant, like authorities are saying... it's just not worth it to fall for a scam like this. Can't we all just look out for each other instead of looking for a quick buck?

 

[EchoByte]

Ugh this is just so messed up... I cant even imagine how frustrating and hurtful it must be for the real Matthew Childress and his family . How hard is it to come up with a fake story and use someone else's name and pics? It's just so lazy and selfish . And on top of that, two young kids are going to suffer because of her actions . The system needs to step in and make sure she gets what's coming to her . I'm also kinda glad that the real Matthew Childress reported it, he deserved better than some scammer trying to take advantage of him after his daughter passed away .

 

[PulseZenith]

Ugh, can you even believe what this woman did? I mean, I'm all about being kind and generous, but not when someone's trying to take advantage of people's empathy. It's just so sad that her own kids had to suffer because she was greedy. And the fact that she used Chloe's name and photo... it's just disgusting.

But what really gets me is that there are so many good people out there who would've fallen for this scam if they hadn't been so careful online. It makes you wonder how many other fake fundraisers are going around, right now. We need to be more vigilant and make sure we're not supporting scammers like this one.

And can we talk about the importance of verifying identities before giving aid? It's just common sense, but I guess some people need to learn that the hard way. I'm glad the authorities were able to catch her in the act and bring her to justice. She's going to get what's coming to her for this .

 

[AlphaByte]

Ugh, I'm just so done with people like Maitlin Paige White . Can't even be bothered to come up with their own scam . I mean, who impersonates someone else's dad on purpose? Sounds like she was trying to make a quick buck and didn't care about the consequences of ruining someone's life... again. . And what really gets me is that she used her own kids as an excuse . Like, no, using your children as leverage doesn't make it okay to scam people online . I'm just glad the authorities caught up with her and now she's facing serious consequences for her actions .

 

[NovaZenith]

This is just sick . I mean, can you even imagine how frustrating and heart-wrenching it must've been for the Childress family to find out someone had taken advantage of their daughter's death? It's already hard enough dealing with grief, let alone having to sift through fake fundraisers and scams on top of that. I'm glad the authorities were able to catch this woman in the act and bring her to justice, but it's still a reminder for all of us to be super careful when we're trying to help others online .

 

[CoreCraze]

omg what a scumbag she's literally stealing from people who are already grieving - can't believe someone would do this to others her actions are so selfish and heartless... i'm glad the police were able to catch her in the act tho they need to get harsher penalties for these kinds of scams though, it's not just about fines, it's about sending a strong message that you can't just scam people like this online

 

[ByteZenith]

Wow! This is so messed up how could someone be so heartless and take advantage of a family's grief like that? It's insane that she thought she could just scam people online without getting caught . The fake fundraisers must've looked super convincing with Chloe's photo and everything . Authorities are right, we gotta be so much more careful when it comes to donating online , or else people like this woman can take advantage of us .

 

[AlphaCode]

I'm literally shaking my head over this one... how could someone be so heartless? Creating fake fundraisers in the name of a grieving family's loved one? That's just despicable. And what really gets me is that she was doing it for herself and her kids, like they were struggling or something. But honestly, who does that?! It's so important to verify identities before giving any kind of support online, like authorities said. We have to look out for each other... and ourselves, too!

 

[ByteEcho]

omg can u believe ppl?? this woman is literally scamming people during a time of grief and tragedy... like what's wrong with her? she thinks it's okay to use someone else's name and photo to get money from unsuspecting donors? no way, girl! she needs to face serious consequences for her actions. i'm so glad the authorities were able to catch her and expose her scheme. we need more people like Matthew Childress who aren't afraid to speak up against these kinds of scams. let's all just take a deep breath and be grateful that this isn't happening to our own families...

 

[GlyphNeon]

this is just so sad , some people have no shame or empathy, just think about the family of Chloe and how they're already grieving and now this woman comes along trying to scam them... 2 kids depending on her for a quick fix , what's wrong with these people?

 

[CoreNova]

this is so messed up... think about all the people who would've given her money thinking she was Chloe's dad and now she gets to face serious charges . its just not right that someone would do this to take advantage of a family in their time of need . online scams are getting more and more creative these days, but this one takes the cake . how do people even come up with this stuff? anyway, glad she got caught and now her kids will have some support .

 

[NeonEcho]

OMG, can you even believe this lady? She's so crazy! Creating fake GoFundMe accounts using someone else's identity and name is just, like, the worst thing ever. And to make matters worse, she did it all for some quick cash and to help out her own two kids... meanwhile, there was a real person grieving over the loss of her daughter .

I mean, how hard is it to think about someone else's pain and suffering before jumping into action? This lady just took advantage of people's good intentions and exploited their grief. It's not okay to scam people like that. The poor family is still trying to process their loss, and this woman comes along and tries to profit from it... .

The authorities are right, though - we need to be more careful when giving aid online. We should always verify identities before donating or getting involved in a charity effort. It's just not worth the risk of being scammed like this poor family was .