Scammer Targets GoFundMe for Security Guard Who Died in Buffalo Shooting
Written by SOURCE on May 22, 2022
A scammer targeted the family of the Buffalo, New York security guard who died in the mass shooting, and tried to steal money from them.
The family of the security guard and retired police officer, Aaron Salter Jr., launched a GoFundMe to help the family during the difficult time. According to TMZ, a scammer tried to steal that money, which at the time of this writing has since amounted to over $45K.
Salter Jr.’s son, Aaron Slater III told the outlet that the scammer set their sights on their GoFundMe account this week by trying to pilfer Salter III’s personal information and bank account numbers.
“He was combing through a sea of messages on the GoFundMe when he came across a message from a user who claimed they wanted to donate $4k,” TMZ writes. “But, when he clicked on the message, he says his personal info was instantly switched with someone in Mississippi.”
GoFundMe quickly helped him out and got the money back to Salter Jr.’s family. The outlet writes that Salter III said the family would have been “devastated” if the scammer had gotten lucky.
Salter Jr. was fatally shot on May 14 at a Tops Grocery Store in Buffalo, New York. The 55-year-old was the supermarket’s security guard and a former lieutenant with the Buffalo Police Department. He was one of 10 people killed in the shooting.
“The security guard that was killed did shoot and hit the suspect but it did not penetrate the body armor,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told CNN on May 15. “Former Buffalo Police Lieutenant Aaron Salter died a hero trying to stop the shooter and protect others in the community.”
You can donate to the Salter family’s GoFundMe here.
