Home/Australia/Fake GoFundMe pages set up after the death of Perth's mother, Rebecca Pumphrey, in a Christmas tragedy
Fake GoFundMe pages set up after the death of Perth's mother, Rebecca Pumphrey, in a Christmas tragedy
Jacky Follow on Twitter Send an email December 25, 2022
A shattered family's heartbreak is compounded by con artists trying to cash in on the death of a young mother in a car accident just before Christmas.
Rebecca Pumphrey, 32, died in the presence of her two young children when her hatchback crashed into a power pole in Perth's southern suburbs on December 22.
In harrowing scenes, Mrs Pumphrey's daughter, 11, and son, eight, were pulled from the wreckage by members of the public as they screamed for their mother.
They were taken to Perth Children's Hospital with minor injuries.
Rebecca Pumphrey's heartbreak (pictured) has been exacerbated by malicious con artists trying to cash in on the young mother's death in a tragic car accident just before Christmas
But Ms Pumphrey could not be revived after her Ford Fiesta hatchback hit the utility pole in Willmott Drive, Cooloongup, and drove into an adjacent property at around 11pm.
The impact of the crash knocked out power to 59 homes in Perth's southern suburb.
Since then, outraged relatives warned benefactors that fraudsters with no connection to the family had set up fake online fundraisers.
"Be aware that the media is sharing her name, people are trying to steal money from this tragedy that has failed our family," her devastated brother Sam Pumphrey wrote on Facebook on Christmas Eve.
"Fake GoFundMe accounts are floating around for Rebecca's kids," another family member wrote.
"These accounts were not created by anyone in the family and the children may not see a penny of them."
Mr Pumphrey shared footage of the faked fundraiser with Daily Mail Australia on Christmas Day and has stood by his claim that it is unrelated to the family.
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Mrs Pumphrey's cousin, Di Hall, shared a link to the family's only official GoFundMe page — who struggled to raise funds, possibly due to confusion over the multiple pages.
As of Christmas Day at 4 p.m., it had $1,800 of a modest $10,000 goal.
"Unfortunately, Bec was killed in a horrific car accident on Thursday night," the page read.
"We are trying to raise money for her funeral and raise money to help her three beautiful children move forward."
Hayden Stobbs was one of the first people at the scene of the crash after hearing the impact of the car.
Rebecca Pumphrey, 32, died in front of her two young children when her hatchback crashed into a power pole in Perth's southern suburbs on December 22
Outraged family members have warned that people unrelated to the family have set up fake online fundraisers for sharing the link to the only official GoFundMe page
"I heard two huge thumps and then a clap [and I've] come out to see a young girl screaming for help," he said 9News.
"She said, 'My mom was in a car accident and my brother's still stuck in the car.'"
Mr Stobbs said the eight-year-old boy was in 'a lot of pain', possibly with broken bones.
Off-duty nurse Maddison Clarke was also one of the first responders and checked the stricken mother for a pulse, only to find 'she was definitely not there'.
Mrs Pumphrey is said to have dropped the children off at their father's house in Perth after driving about 80 miles south-east from Boddington.
WA Police are calling on dashcam footage from any witnesses as they investigate the deadly crash.
Flowers and tributes were left at the crash site on Friday.
A friend described Mrs. Pumphrey as "a devoted mother who put her children first."
Another said she was "always smiling and happy and would do anything for her kids."
In harrowing scenes, Mrs Pumphrey's daughter, 11, and son, eight, were pulled from the wreckage by members of the public as they screamed for their mother
WA Premier Mark McGowan sent his condolences to Mrs Pumphrey's family.
"It is a tragic situation and my sincere condolences go out to the affected families and the local community," he said.
Mr McGowan also urged drivers to 'look out for each other'.
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