CINCINNATI — The outpouring of support for Damar Hamlin has been something we have never seen before.
People all over the country are praying for the injured Buffalo Bills safety, and asking how they can help his charity or his family.
But fake fundraisers are popping up online, according to a report in TMZ.
The report says GoFundMe has pulled down several pages raising money for Hamlin that have not been authorized by his family.
TMZ says some of them may be well-intentioned, with the people behind them planning to send the money to Hamlin's family.
GoFundMe says they have a Trust & Safety team dedicated to verifying every fundraiser mentioning Damar Hamlin's name. GofundMe also says that when there is an account that mentions Hamlin's name, the money is held until GoFundMe decides to release it after verifying it.
Damar Hamlin's legitimate charity is "The Chasing M's Foundation Community Toy Drive," to bring toys to children in need. (Legitimate charity pictured below)
Since Hamlin's injury, his toy drive has raised more than $7 million in pledged donations, including $25,000 from the Indianapolis Colts and $18,000 from the New England Patriots.
A GoFundMe spokesperson told us in a statement:
"Immediately following news reports, GoFundMe began monitoring the platform for related fundraisers created on behalf of Damar Hamlin. Our team of experts is continuing to monitor and removing fundraisers that have not been authorized by the recipient of the funds. This fundraiser [gofundme.com] has been verified on behalf of the family.
Being a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority. We are inspired by the kindness, generosity, and empathy our community shows every day, especially in moments like these, as demonstrated by the more than $7 million raised to date from over 225K donations."
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