Officials: Woman charged for creating fake GoFundMe for son with cancer who she gave up for adoption
BURLINGTON COUNTY, N.J. (NewsNation Now) — A 33-year-old New Jersey woman has been charged after allegedly creating a fake GoFundMe account to raise money for the funeral of her 4-year-old son, who she claimed died of cancer, but who she had actually given up previously for adoption.
Holly Garcia was taken into custody on Sept. 24 and released later that week. The case will be prepared to go before a grand jury for possible indictment.
According to the county’s prosecutor’s office, the investigation into the fake account began in June after the couple who adopted Garcia’s son notified police that his photo was being used in a GoFundMe campaign.
The campaign sought $5,000 for funeral expenses and said the child had died of cancer.
The investigation revealed Garcia created the campaign and further investigation found she had created multiple fictitious GoFundMe campaigns seeking money for an urn for her dead son’s ashes, assistance for her 4-year-old son who is going blind in one eye — and whose father had died, assistance for her unborn child, a stroller for her two-month-old son, who was born premature and assistance raising rent money for an apartment, because she claimed she was 4-months pregnant and homeless.
The total amount Garcia requested through the campaigns was $11,350.
All have been taken down by the GoFundMe website after contact from law enforcement.
The prosecutor’s office said Garcia did not receive any money before the campaigns were taken down.
She is charged with computer criminal activity and attempted theft by deception.
NewsNation affiliate WFLA contributed to this report.