RALEIGH, N.C. – The mass shooting in Raleigh that left five people dead and others hurt has left many people searching for ways to support the victims and their families. 

What You Need To Know

  • GoFundMe pages have been popping up claiming to raise funds for victims of the Raleigh mass shooting and their families

  • The Better Business Bureau is tracking scams and sharing tips to verify whether a GoFundMe is legitimate 

  • GoFundMe verified GoFundMe links for victims in the Raleigh mass shooting 

GoFundMe pages have been popping up, raising thousands of dollars to help cover funeral expenses and many other needs for the shooting victims. But unfortunately, experts say when tragedy strikes, scammers also look to cash in on your kind heart.

The Better Business Bureau of Eastern North Carolina (BBB) tracks those scams. Nick Hill tells us they are prevalent, with the average person in their service area losing $100 per fundraising-related scam. But there are ways to ensure your money gets into the right hands, and that you donate to verified GoFundMe sites.

The company has a dedicated Trust & Safety team to support organizers, beneficiaries and donors to ensure donations reach the right people.  GoFundMe considers a fundraiser verified when one of the following is met:

  • GoFundMe knows the identity of the organizer, who they’re raising money for, their relationship to the recipient of the money and how it will be used, or;
  • The recipient is added to the fundraiser to withdraw the funds, and their identity is confirmed.

Representatives with GoFundMe’s Trust & Safety team tell the BBB their experts work hard to make sure each donation gets to the right people as quickly and safely as possible. Money raised is collected by payment processors, held and then given only to the person named as the beneficiary, experts say. 

To ensure funds get to the right person, representatives verify the beneficiary’s personal information using their ID and banking information. If questions arise, the money will be held until verification is consistent.

If you’re looking to make a donation to a GoFundMe account, the BBB says that you should be able to clearly answer some questions about the fundraiser. Experts say if any of the below points are missing, message the organizer by clicking the contact button as ask for more information:

  • What is the relationship between the organizer and the intended beneficiary?
  • What is the purpose of the fundraiser?
  • How will the money be used?
  • Are any direct family and friends making donations and leaving support messages and comments?

If you still have questions regarding a fundraiser, the BBB says donors can report directly to GoFundMe through the "Report fundraiser" section. This results in a specialist investigating the issue. And the company does have a Giving Guarantee that ensures a full donation refund in the case that something isn’t right.

GoFundMe has verified the below fundraisers to help support the victims of October’s mass shooting in Raleigh:

Courtesy: GoFundMe

The BBB says you can also report a scam of any sort to their Scam Tracker, posted on the organization's website.