A woman from Florida has been criminally charged after allegedly posing as the grieving father of a teenager who died in the catastrophic Texas camp flooding last July, in a brazen attempt to solicit fraudulent donations.
The Heartbreaking Backdrop of the Scam
The alleged fraud targeted the family of Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old camp counsellor who was one of 27 victims killed in the devastating floods at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas. The tragedy unfolded in early July 2025, sending shockwaves through the community.
According to court documents, Maitlin Paige White, 28, of Crestview, Florida, is accused of creating a GoFundMe page on 8 July 2025—just four days after Chloe's death. The page reportedly used the name and likeness of Chloe's father, Matthew Childress, without his knowledge or consent, asking the public for financial support for the bereaved family.
How the Alleged Fraud Unravelled
The scheme began to collapse when Matthew Childress himself discovered the fraudulent fundraising page on 10 July and alerted authorities. Investigators digging into the case found a second suspicious account set up on the Spotfund platform, also under Childress's name.
By obtaining records from both fundraising companies, detectives traced the accounts back to White. Key evidence linking her to the scam included her name, phone number, email address, and bank account details. Texas outlet KTRK reported that both fraudulent accounts were created on the same day.
When contacted by detectives, White allegedly stated she was a "single mother of two young children" who had been "looking for a quick way to make some money", according to the court records.
Swift Action and Official Charges
Law enforcement moved quickly. On 11 July, Alan Rosen, a Houston-area constable, posted on Facebook about an investigation into a scammer pretending to be Chloe Childress's father. Within minutes of detectives contacting GoFundMe, the page was removed and the scam halted.
Rosen's office later confirmed the charges against White, posting her photo on X (formerly Twitter) with a statement that she had been charged for the online scam. A spokesperson for GoFundMe provided a statement to Texas news outlet KRIV, emphasising their "zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform".
The company confirmed its team acted swiftly to remove the fundraiser, refund the donors, and ban the account. Thanks to their procedures, the organiser never accessed the $5 that had been raised.
This case highlights the disturbing trend of criminals exploiting real-world tragedies for financial gain, preying on public sympathy in the wake of devastating events like the Texas camp floods.
