Scammer Creates Fake GoFundMe Page To Exploit Oklahoma Family's Struggles

A scammer is using an Oklahoma family's struggles, with the health of their son, for their own financial gain online.

Elijah Hedges was 3-years-old when the tailgate of a flatbed trailer stuck him in the head. He suffered a serious brain injury and still undergoes therapy more than a year and half after the accident.

This past week when Elijah’s mother, Kayla Hedges, checked on a GoFundMe web page set up for son, she found another one set up with his picture and story. The second GoFundMe page had been posted by a total stranger, and would not benefit the family.

“If I could have found the chick, I’d beat the crap out of her,” said Kayla about the woman who made the page.

Hedges says a link to the phony website had appeared on the woman’s Facebook page three times since September.

“How could somebody stoop so low to take money from an actual hurt child,” said Kayla.

The mother contacted the woman online who agreed to remove the link. Kayla says the woman promised that any money she was going to receive would have been sent to the Hedges family.

“I don’t believe her,” added Kayla.

The real GoFundMe page for Elijah was sent up more than a year ago and Hedges admits she rarely check the website. She is now urging others with crowd funding websites to constantly pay attention, so a scammer doesn’t get paid.

Hedges said police told her there wasn’t much they could legally do about the phony website and advised her to get an attorney.

Hedges doesn’t think the woman made any money with her son’s story, but she isn’t sure.