Sick GoFundMe fraudsters set up fake £5,000 fundraising page to cash in on death of tragic leukaemia girl, six
Darci Jackson's dad Graeme and mum Amanda were horrified to discover the fundraiser they had set up for their daughter died had been duplicated
SICK fraudsters allegedly started a fake GoFundMe page to exploit the tragic death of a six-year-old who died of leukaemia.
Darci Jackson lost her battle with cancer in August, just days after her family desperately set up a genuine fundraising page to pay for potentially life-saving treatment in America.
Parents Graeme and Amanda Jackson raised more than £50,000 in just under 24 hours.
The couple, from Fife, Scotland, then passed the money to the family of another sick child battling cancer, Joshua Nicholson.
But Graeme and Amanda were horrified to discover Darci's name and details being used on a hoax page.
Graeme, 42, furiously took to social media to explain he was "sick to the bottom of my stomach" after learning the news.
He said: "Some sicko has set up a second GoFundMe page to raise £5,000 for Darci using exactly the same details that we had used."
"We did not set this page up and have received no funds from this. It has been reported to GoFundMe and the police.
"I'm so angry that someone would abuse what we are going through. They are sick - it is like-for-like of our original page."
Graeme vowed to assist GoFundMe to prevent anyone who has been cheated into making a donation is fully refunded.
He added: "I wish I could catch this sicko."
Darci's campaign went viral on the internet and hopes were high that the schoolgirl - who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia - might be able to receive treatment in the United States.
However, her condition deteriorated and Graeme and Amanda had to deliver the heartbreaking news to supporters that their "superhero" Darci had lost her cancer battle.
They paid tribute to their "caring, feisty, brave, courageous, strong-willed and fun-loving little girl" and said she had "put up one hell of a fight".
In a Facebook post on their page 'Darci's Journey with Leukemia', they wrote: "It is with utter devastation that we have to announce that our beautiful baby daughter Darci passed away last night, may her wings fly with the angels.
"Our lives are shattered, we are utterly devastated and no words can explain how we feel right now.
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"We have a massive hole in our hearts and we have no idea how we are going to cope with the pain that we are suffering, it’s our cross to bear, with the knowledge that our beautiful baby girl is no longer suffering."
The couple, along with Darci's brother and sister Daniel and Sienna, returned to their home town of Kirkcaldy to lay her to rest.
GoFundMe said in a statement: "We’ve removed this campaign and the organiser has been banned from GoFundMe.
"We’ve also refunded all donations under the GoFundMe guarantee."
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