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The Times of India
The Times of India
World
TOI World Desk

UK man jailed for £10,000 fake single-father fundraising scam

Fraud GoFundMe JustGiving United Kingdom Hertfordshire Constabulary Covid-19 Hertfordshire

A man from Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, used a heartbreaking story to persuade people to donate more than £10,000 to fake online fundraising appeals. Robert Ashton claimed that his partner had died from Covid-19 and that he was left to raise their children alone. People who believed his story donated money through GoFundMe and JustGiving, hoping to help a father going through a difficult time. But the tragedy he described was fabricated, and dozens of people ended up giving money under false pretences.

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