BURLINGTON, N.C. – Police in North Carolina are investigating a possible fraud case after a woman reported that someone was using her photo on a flyer and GoFundMe page.
Karen Jaycee Hunter said a friend saw the flyer at Tractor Supply in Burlington Monday. The friend messaged her on Facebook saying the picture looked like her.
“It was me,” Hunter said. “I told her that picture has been in my mom's house for 10 years hanging up.”
The flyer says the woman's name is Tammy Wilson - and that her dad needs $81,000 to help her get a bone marrow transplant.
“I’m perfectly healthy,” Hunter said. “I’m fine. I don’t know how he got this picture. It was done professionally. I think it was at Sears.”
Nearly 50 people donated to a GoFundMe account listed on the flyer.
“Twelve-hundred dollars, and that’s just on the GoFundMe page,” Hunter said.
After reading the comments on the page, Hunter also learned the man has been to multiple locations asking for donations.
“I feel bad for people who are just trying to do something nice,” Hunter said. “A couple of people said they have family members going through the same thing so they felt like they would help him out as much as they could because they felt his pain and they understood … but it wasn’t real."
Hunter spoke with the man over the phone Monday and he stuck to his story.
WGHP called the number on the flyer Tuesday, but it was disconnected.
The GoFundMe page is now gone too.
“It just made me mad because it’s not real,” Hunter said. “Those people could’ve given their money to someone who actually needs it.”
Burlington police said Hunter's case is most likely civil because the man used her picture but not any other personal information.
Now she just hopes no one else donates money.
“This particular flyer, this particular fundraiser is not real. Do not donate to it,” Hunter said.
