Nessel: Be wary of those attempting to profit off shooting tragedy

If you donate to families of Oxford High School victims, make sure the pages are verified and legitimate. That’s the message being shared by Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general. She is heightening awareness regarding potential fundraising scams as numerous donation pages are posted online in the wake of Tuesday’s shooting.

“Thankfully thus far, our department has not received any reports of potentially fraudulent behavior surrounding opportunities to show support for the victims and the community of Oxford,” Nessel said Thursday. “We know that, unfortunately, that could change and there may be attempts to profit from this tragedy. My office stands ready to pursue bad actors and we urge Michiganders to report any suspected instances of fraud.”

Angelique Mcnaughton, a spokesperson with Gofundme for Michigan, said that the platform’s team is conducting around-the-clock monitoring for any fundraisers related to Oxford victims and their families. That platform is continually verifying newly created pages and updating the media and public on whether the pages are authentic. Some of the verified Gofundme pages for victims include:

• Madisyn Baldwin, started by her grandmother, Jennifer Graves Mosqueda

• Madisyn Baldwin, started by Crystal France, the best friend of Baldwin’s mother, Nicole

• Oxford Strong, started by Laura Ferguson, who graduated from Oxford High in 2011 and is currently a fifth-grade teacher for the Davison School District.

• Justin Shilling, started by his uncle, Kevin Shilling

• Phoebe, a 14-yearold shooting survivor, and started by her cousin, Naomi Ernest

• Kylie Ossege, a shooting survivor, started by the entire radiology team at Mclaren Oakland, Marla Michele Must of Enchanted Photography Michigan, and several family friends

Other local entities accepting donations to assist families include:

• Genisys Credit Union is accepting donations to assist families impacted by the tragedy. To donate to Oxford Strong, visit any of the 28 Genisys branch locations in Michigan. Checks can be made payable to Genisys Credit Union — Oxford Strong. Contact Oxfordstrong@genisyscu.org with any questions.

• Oxford Bank, Oxford Community Schools and the Downtown Oxford DDA have established the “Oxford Community Memorial and Victim’s Fund” to accept donations for their families and our community. Visit www.oxfordbank.com/donations for more information or to donate.