US News – Angie Stone : Fraudulent GoFundMe campaign claiming to honor the legacy of Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone has been dismantled after amassing over $12,000 in donations, just days after her tragic death in a car crash.
- GoFundMe shuts down fake fundraiser for Angie Stone after it raised over $12,000.
- All donations refunded, organizer “Lenda Peers” banned from future campaigns.
- Platform vows to monitor for further scams tied to Stone’s death amid public outrage.
Fake GoFundMe Linked to Late Singer Angie Stone Shut Down, Donations to be Returned
The crowdfunding platform confirmed Friday, March 7, that the fundraiser, titled “Support Angie Stone’s Legacy After Tragic Loss,” was removed, all contributions refunded, and its organizer—identified as “Lenda Peers”—banned from future fundraising.
The swift action follows Stone’s passing on March 1 near Montgomery, Alabama, as fans and family mourn the loss of a soul music icon, sparking outrage over the scam’s exploitation of her memory.
A Scam Exposed Amid Grief
GoFundMe acted after the campaign, launched shortly after Stone’s death, raised red flags for its vague wording—offering no clear beneficiary or purpose beyond a rundown of her fame, per TMZ’s initial March 6 report. By Wednesday, it had collected $12,000 of its $25,000 goal, with donors including an anonymous $10,000 contribution and $1,000 from rapper Missy Elliott, before suspicions surfaced.
The platform’s Trust & Safety team refunded all donations under its Giving Guarantee, ensuring no loss to contributors, and pledged to scrub any further Angie Stone-related scams.
Angie Stone, 63, died in a collision between her tour van and a semi-truck on Interstate 65 while traveling from Mobile to Atlanta, leaving eight bandmates injured. Her family, planning a public memorial in Atlanta and a private funeral in Columbia, South Carolina, clarified via Instagram they sought no crowdfunding, amplifying calls to report fakes.
Outrage and a Platform’s Response
The incident has stirred anger among Stone’s fans and peers, who see it as a betrayal of her legacy—marked by hits like “No More Rain” and a pioneering role in The Sequence, the first all-female rap trio. “How could anyone do this to Angie Stone’s memory?” asked a user in X.
GoFundMe’s spokesperson underscored rarity—“cases of misuse are rare”—but its proactive monitoring intensified after similar frauds, like a 2019 Pennsylvania cancer scam, drew scrutiny. The company’s swift refund and ban, detailed across FOX 5 Atlanta and New York Daily News, aim to restore trust as
