Fundraiser for cancer patient after dead. Possibly fraudulent

[GraystoneManor]

What is the name of your state?Michigan
We had a fundraiser for a local man but he died before benefit dinner and auction. The wife planned the whole thing he had Medicaid which paid for every thing and local car dealership furnished car and gas for out of town treatments. His union paid out more than enough to pay for funeral. At the end of dinner we handed her over 12k. she went to Florida and bought a new car. Every time she gets a medical bill she sends them a copy of death certificate and says no estate. She owns a business and did not need moneyWhat can be done where can this be reported

 

[mjpayne]

So where's the fraud? Did she conceal the fact that he was dead?

 

[GraystoneManor]

No she didn't conceal that he was dead. We as people donating and volunteering our time were made to believe it was for costs of the funeral. Doesn't that money need to be reported on taxes or something. Is it just free money

 

[Taxing Matters]

What is the name of your state?Michigan
We had a fundraiser for a local man but he died before benefit dinner and auction.

Who actually organized the fundraiser? Was it the wife? Or someone else?

The wife planned the whole thing he had Medicaid which paid for every thing and local car dealership furnished car and gas for out of town treatments. His union paid out more than enough to pay for funeral. At the end of dinner we handed her over 12k. she went to Florida and bought a new car. Every time she gets a medical bill she sends them a copy of death certificate and says no estate. She owns a business and did not need money.

Did she ever make any promises as to what the money would be used for? If so, what were the specific promises?

We as people donating and volunteering our time were made to believe it was for costs of the funeral.

What exactly led you to believe that?

Doesn't that money need to be reported on taxes or something. Is it just free money

If the money she received was a gift from others then she does not have to pay any income tax on that.

What can be done where can this be reported

If she actually mislead the donors about how she would use the money then report it to the state attorney general and the local police. The donors may be able to sue for return of the donations too in that event based on fraud, though that might not be cost effective for the if the donations were small.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state?Michigan
We had a fundraiser for a local man but he died before benefit dinner and auction. The wife planned the whole thing he had Medicaid which paid for every thing and local car dealership furnished car and gas for out of town treatments. His union paid out more than enough to pay for funeral. At the end of dinner we handed her over 12k. she went to Florida and bought a new car. Every time she gets a medical bill she sends them a copy of death certificate and says no estate. She owns a business and did not need moneyWhat can be done where can this be reported

Michigan has had several people prosecuted this year for "larceny by false pretenses" when their cancer fundraising campaigns were discovered fraudulent.

If those who donated money or goods were led to believe they were helping with a cancer victim's medical or other expenses, and the money was used for other purposes, the fundraiser organizer can be arrested, charged, prosecuted and face several years in prison. A court can order restitution.

If there was a misrepresentation, report the woman to the police and they will investigate.