GoFundMe Provides Refunds To Donors Duped By Viral Campaign

A picture of Katelyn McClure, right, Mark D’Amico, center, and Johnny Bobbitt Jr. was displayed during a news conference in November. GoFundMe says it has refunded all donations to a campaign that featured a made-up story about Bobbitt, a homeless veteran

Seth Wenig / AP

For thousands of donors lured out of their money by an allegedly fraudulent GoFundMe campaign featuring a homeless veteran, the winding ordeal has finally come to an end.

GoFundMe says it has returned more than $400,000 donated to a heartwarming fundraiser that captured national attention, attracting more than 14,000 donors, before taking a dark turn earlier this fall.

“All donors who contributed to this GoFundMe campaign have been fully refunded,” wrote Bobby Whithorne, a spokesperson for the company, in an emailed statement. “GoFundMe always fully protects donors, which is why we have a comprehensive refund policy in place.”