Really makes me think that the justice system should have a wide margin for discretionary sentencing. I get that in some sense fraud is fraud, but there is one thing preying on people's greed, and another preying on compassion, charity and vulnerable children in desperate need. Scams based on greed (or other vices) are in some sense limited crimes, since their success punishes what is low, but scams based on what is best in us are much wider in their social impact, since they also disincentivize what is most noble.
Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
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Re: Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
I always donate to the random homeless people stopping me on the street. Doesn't really matter to me what they do with it, whatever keeps them warm.
In some American cities I’ve noticed a lot of seemingly homeless women with kids standing on street corners, that are actually Romanian scammers (“gypsies”). People have caught them drugging their babies to make them compliant with sitting under the hot sun all day. And at the end of the day they climb into a Benz because they aren’t actually in need. It really sucks for the people who are truly in need.
> at the end of the day they climb into a Benz
I'll take "Things That Never Happened" for $200, Alex.
Re: Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
#153I remember there was a flood of similar campaigns on Facebook a couple years ago. Multiple pages, some posts sponsored, some gaming the algorithm, very similar messaging. All about children suffering from cancer. All leading to scammy-looking domain names, some using IDNs. I had been wondering where the catch was, then got tired and just started reporting and blocking them until they stopped.
Re: Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
#154If BBC journalists can donate $5 and see the counter move, how are these campaigns not triggering internal red flags?
Re: Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
#155[deleted]
Re: Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
#156"The campaigns with the biggest apparent international reach were under the name of an organisation called Chance Letikva (Chance for Hope, in English) - registered in Israel and the US." Chance Letikva is registered with the US IRS as a charity. They've filed a Form 990. Location is Brooklyn, NY. [1] Address is listed. It's a small house. It's also incorporated as CHANCE LETIKVA, INC. in New York State. Address matc…
The fact that the website is suspended while the donation machinery was clearly active is… not a great sign
Re: Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
#157[flagged]
What does one man living in Canada have to do with how much people in Israel love children? There have been many frauds of cancer in children. Here https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-14/sa-couple-alleged-fak... is one, an Australian couple asking donations for a fake cancer. Is it reasonable to believe Australia doesn't like children because of it? No in fact it so ridiculous that even asking it is frankly stupid.
If the scammer were Muslim, many people would have no issue ascribing blame to swathes of people with the same religion, calling the religion itself cancer.
Huh, maybe people can ask for donations to be cured of that "cancer"...
Re: Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
#158Really makes me think that the justice system should have a wide margin for discretionary sentencing. I get that in some sense fraud is fraud, but there is one thing preying on people's greed, and another preying on compassion, charity and vulnerable children in desperate need. Scams based on greed (or other vices) are in some sense limited crimes, since their success punishes what is low, but scams based on what is…
Then again, maybe we should keep ethics and morals away from law and sentencing, and concentrate on harm and intent.
Laws can be based on ethics, but moral judgments really should not be involved in their application.
Unless you want to live in a theocracy, of course.
Re: Children with cancer scammed out of millions fundraised for their treatment
#159Really makes me think that the justice system should have a wide margin for discretionary sentencing. I get that in some sense fraud is fraud, but there is one thing preying on people's greed, and another preying on compassion, charity and vulnerable children in desperate need. Scams based on greed (or other vices) are in some sense limited crimes, since their success punishes what is low, but scams based on what is…
Whether sentencing should reflect that is a hard question, but pretending all fraud is morally equivalent seems like willful blindness