Following the death of their loved one, Kevin Samuels’ family has revealed that a recent GoFundMe account created to cover costs to lay him to rest is fake, TMZ reports.
According to the family, the account set up on the popular crowdfunding platform was made by an “imposter.”
The page was launched by someone whose name was listed as Melanie King with a goal of $50,000. It has since been deleted. Another report revealed that the platform reached out to the popular YouTuber’s family to offer them the funds that had been raised. His family denied the gesture.
Samuels, known for his controversial takes on relationships, specifically within the Black community, died at his Atlanta residence at the age of 57.
In a statement, GoFundMe confirmed that everyone who donated to the alleged fake page will receive a refund.
“Safety is our top priority. It’s very important to us that donor intentions are honored and that money goes to the right place.” read the statement. “Generally, if the recipient does not want to receive funds raised on their behalf on GoFundMe, we will refund all donors. In this case, we have been in touch with a representative of the family and the family has stated that they do not wish to receive funds from fundraisers. As such, our Trust & Safety team is proactively monitoring the platform for fundraisers created on the family’s behalf, and will remove fundraisers started without family consent.”
It isn’t uncommon for GoFundMe pages to be created in honor of figures such as Samuels without consulting the family. The platform reiterated that the main goal is to protect its donors.
“To note, we often see fundraisers started in response to news like this by friends, neighbors, and even strangers with good intentions, as people want to help,” the statement continued. “Our goal is to always protect donors.”