GoFundMe Took Down Dog Fundraiser Veteran Said George Santos Made

QUEENS, NY — GoFundMe said it took down a 2016 fundraiser that a disabled New Jersey veteran said was created by George Santos for his service dog after failing to verify the money was delivered. The fundraising platform then banned the organizer's email.

GoFundMe told Patch it received a report of "an issue" with the fundraiser made for U.S. Navy veteran Richard Osthoff's dog to get a lifesaving surgery. Osthoff and another veteran told Patch that after funds were raised on social media and through friends, Santos, who used the name Anthony Devolder at the time, stopped returning his calls and texts. Osthoff said he never received any money from Santos, and his dog died in early 2017 from a tumor.

GoFundMe told Patch that the organizer "failed to respond" when they asked for proof the money was delivered, prompting the platform to remove the fundraiser and ban the email used on the veteran's dog fundraiser.

Osthoff and Boll both told Patch on Wednesday that none of the people they knew who donated to the campaign reported having their money refunded.

"They didn't know anything until they saw me post [on Facebook] that I was scammed," he told Patch.

In 2016, when Santos created Sapphires's fundraiser, there was no guaranteed refund policy in place, the company said. GoFundMe said that when it closed the account, the money had already been withdrawn.

A spokesperson for the platform said, "GoFundMe now has a dedicated team working to ensure that we offer a safe place for people to give and receive help online. GoFundMe also has the first and only donor protection guarantee in the fundraising industry and guarantees donors a full refund in the rare case something isn’t right."

Osthoff's pit mix Sapphire died in January 2017, two months after he last heard from Santos, he told Patch.

Late Tuesday, after Patch broke the story about Osthoff's GoFundMe con claims against the embattled Long Island and Queens congressman, Santos told Semafor "no clue who this is," presumably referring to Osthoff, and called the veteran's account "fake."

A public Facebook post linking to the fundraiser for Osthoff's service dog on April 29, 2016, shows the fundraiser's plea for help:

"When a veteran reaches out to ask for help, how can you say no to a person whom put his life in the line for us? Sapphire he to be operated rather soon. Will you help this baby and her daddy stay together for a few more years? Does he not deserve to have her? Let's all come together to help this family of two stay healthy!"

Read Patch's full story here.