Disgusting
Mum blasts online scammers trying to cash in on torment of her daughter who was beaten up at city skatepark
The mum of a schoolgirl who was beaten unconscious at a skatepark in Glasgow has hit out at “disgusting” scammers who set up a fundraiser in her daughter’s name.
Angela Jarvis, 44, said she has been left “sickened” by a fake GoFundMe page brought to her attention last week. The page, which asks for donations of up to £1000, was set up in her daughter Abbie’s name more than a year after her brutal assault in October 2022.
The then 12-year-old was lured to a park in Drumchapel before being battered by another youngster and left with serious injuries.
After Angela rushed to her aid Abbie, who is autistic, was hospitalised for two days.
She has since been diagnosed with PTSD and has been unable to return to school. Any funds given, the fake fundraiser states, will “help” with Abbie’s “anxiety and education”.
The page, which reads as if it has been written by Abbie, states: “Thank you if you donated.
“This fundraiser is to help with my education and anxiety after this attack, no this is not for lots of money, this is for my mental health. “Thank you a lot.” Reacting to the online scam, Angela said: “I have been left sickened by the fact people are using Abbie’s assault and torment to cash in, it is deeply disturbing.
“At first, I was left speechless but now I am disgusted.
“Someone sat there, saw Abbie’s story and thought it would be a good idea to make money from it.
“Aside from everything else Abbie has been through, things like this torture her.
“She just wants to be able to move on from her past but she is unable to do so as she is constantly reminded of what happened to her.”
The fundraiser was removed by GoFundMe after the Daily Record got in touch to highlight it as a scam.
Angela, a mum of four, added: “For those who have suffered a traumatic event, I would urge you to doublecheck everything you possibly can online to make sure people are not cashing in on your experience.”
Angela and Abbie have vigorously backed the Record’s Our Kids... Our Future campaign, which was set up last year following a spate of sickening assaults on teens across Scotland.
As part of the campaign, we have been calling on the Scottish Government to invest in safe spaces for young people as well as urging social media giants to clamp down on violent viral videos involving teens.
A spokesperson said: “GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform. No money was raised.
“The fundraiser has been removed and the account is banned.
“As a general point, it’s important for people to know that GoFundMe is the only platform of its kind with a giving guarantee – which means all donations get to the right place or can be refunded.”
At first I was speechless but now I am disgusted
ANGELA JARVIS ON FAKE GOFUNDME CAMPAIGN