Attorney General Clark Demands GoFundMe to Prove Removal of All Plagiarized Web Pages Using Charities' Information

Attorney General Charity Clark today, along with 21attorneys general and charitable regulators, sent a letter to GoFundMe, after reports that GoFundMe plagiarized donation web pages for charities nationwide without their prior knowledge or consent. In the letter, the coalition shares their grave concerns about GoFundMe's misconduct and call for immediate remedial measures, including providing proof that GoFundMe has removed all unauthorized donation web pages, in the next 14 days.

GoFundMe provides an internet platform for people to fundraise and solicit donations, including for charities. GoFundMe is a for-profit Delaware corporation headquartered in California and is registered with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers as a charitable fundraising platform. Without prior consent or knowledge of charities, GoFundMe plagiarized donation web pages for over 1.4 million charities. The donation pages contained inaccurate information about charities and GoFundMe's solicitations contained deceptive and misleading acts.

In the letter, the coalition raises potential violation by GoFundMe under numerous state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws and demands that GoFundMe take the following actions immediately:

• Provide proof that GoFundMe has removed all unauthorized donation web pages.
• Disclose all information that affect a person's decision to donate, such as who donations were made to in lieu of the charities GoFundMe plagiarized.
• Explain how GoFundMe ensured its donation web pages did not display in internet search results above a charity's official web sites or fundraising campaigns.

In sending this letter, Attorney General Clark joins the attorneys general and charitable regulators of California, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin.

A copy of the letter is available on our website.

CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, 802-828-3171