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Post by allenuk on Sept 12, 2011 12:45:53 GMT -7
Friends. Like many of you, I drop in to more than one amputee board, to help where I can. One place is the LLIC (Limb Loss Information Centre), a UK-based board, very quiet (partly because it hasn't got any system for emailing about new replies!). Anyway, today a posting turned up from a woman in the States, asking for help - nothing new in that, in fact that's what we're here for - but what she wants is Dollar help. She put this link in her message: www.gofundme.com/7sz9wand the story it tells is indeed heart-rending. But I'm NOT posting this to drum up support for her, but to ask you, particularly you as in you Americans, what your reaction is to the plea and the posting. Can things get so bad that people (apparently educated and you would have thought 'regular' folk) resort to this to get money, or do you see a scam? I will do some googling to see if I can pick up more info., but I really would value your opinions on this one. Allen
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ann58
Female Member
Posts: 278
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Post by ann58 on Sept 13, 2011 14:33:12 GMT -7
Allen, it certainly sounds legit...I feel so sorry for her and of course ,the family. I have never heard about this web-site...have U ? I haven't decided what I am going to do {as yet}.....certainly am not going to give a web-site any credit card #'s or my paypal.
It leaves a person between a rock & a high place. After U check up alittle on the web-site please let us know what U find out. I would definately think our welfare system would help out with food, etc. She wants the best of prosthesis ...personally its too early to be wondering about that. She needs to be praying for him to just make it.
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Post by ann- on Sept 13, 2011 23:36:30 GMT -7
re. our previous conversation Allen, have somehow managed to open the link on here.
Like the other Ann says, it does look pretty legit, and think we have to remember that in other countries people have to pay for hospital treatment if they haven't got insurance, but like Ann am not going to personally be sending off any money.
Like Ann says prosthetic fitting is way down the list at the moment, but will send out my prayers that he is ok.
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Post by cherylm on Sept 14, 2011 0:13:53 GMT -7
Looking around this site, I'm seeing lots of "suggestions" about "how to raise money," but no guarantees that the stories requesting the "donations" are accurate...or even true. If I'm misreading what's going on here, and if this family is indeed in such a desperate condition that they've felt the need to post a public appeal for financial help, then I sincerely apologize to them...but my first reaction is that there's something "scam-like" about this. The donations are going to the family's personal account, not to a hospital, prosthetist, or other coordinating agency. We only have their assurance on the "fund-raising" website that they will use the money for legitimate medically related issues. And, even though we here in the US have some truly major problems with health insurance matters, the fellow in question apparently has Medicare (the closest thing we have to any sort of national health insurance here) and Medicare generally provides pretty decent coverage. In addition, if the wife is employed, there's a good chance that she would have some variety of supplemental insurance that would supplement her spouse's Medicare coverage.
Lordy, I feel like the Grinch, here...and if the family truly does need help I hope they get it. But internet fund-raising appeals to perfect strangers are NOT the norm over here!
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Post by allenuk on Sept 14, 2011 3:27:10 GMT -7
Thanks for the replies, Ann, Ann, Cherylm. It is indeed very difficult, since the world is divided into those who give such people the benefit of the doubt, and those who don't! And I have a feeling that many on this board fall into the first category.
But none of us here is Bill Gates. Wish we were, then such decisions would be easy. But when you only have a limited amount of money to give, choosing who NOT to give it to is unbearably hard.
A.
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ampgk
New Member
Posts: 42
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Post by ampgk on Sept 14, 2011 21:44:41 GMT -7
Your call, Allen, but it appears the individual in question was arrested for passing bad checks a few years ago according to this: florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Lori_Fraize_4189732/There may be mitigating circumstances, but I think this case calls for a higher than usual degree of skepticism.
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Post by allenuk on Sept 15, 2011 7:27:31 GMT -7
Blimey. 200lbs, eh?
A
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Post by ann- on Sept 15, 2011 7:58:32 GMT -7
Your call, Allen, but it appears the individual in question was arrested for passing bad checks a few years ago according to this: florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Lori_Fraize_4189732/There may be mitigating circumstances, but I think this case calls for a higher than usual degree of skepticism. Goodness
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ann58
Female Member
Posts: 278
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Post by ann58 on Sept 15, 2011 13:26:29 GMT -7
That's why I hesitate in such matters...it would be alot different if It were one of our crew
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Post by cherylm on Sept 15, 2011 23:13:27 GMT -7
OK, I can probably rest easy and know that I'm not being unduly suspicious...sounds entirely possible that she's just found a new way to steal without check-kiting. I agree, ann...I'd be far more willing to do anything possible to help out someone here. While it's always wise to deal carefully with people on-line, so many of us here have been in connection for so many years, and have shared so much of our "situations" that it would make a big difference to me.
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