GoFundMe groceries? Is America entering “peak scam” . . . ?

Photo above - Have you ever had a dream that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between a real needy person and a scammer on GoFundMe?

Sorry, I am so NOT going to make a donation to buy groceries for someone online who I’ve never met. I occasionally buy stuff at the Piggly Wiggly down the block for people who are between jobs, had a partner leave them, or are currently sleeping on someone’s couch. I refuse to feel guilty for not supporting strangers online.

I didn’t even realize this crowdfunded grocery scam was a thing, until GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan began to brag about on some podcast (see link at bottom). Yeah, I’d never heard the name Tim Cadogan either, so I googled him. He’s a millionaire, lives in Altadena California (adjacent to Pasadena), has an MBA from Stamford, and worked for McKinsey as a consultant. Then, one day, he hit on the idea of concocting GoFundMe. This DOES sound like a person in California would come up with at a wine spritzer/barbecue, no?

GoFundMe is NOT a publicly traded stock. Why would it be? That would mean financial transparency, quarterly reports, shareholder meetings, and a board of directors. Who needs all that? What we do know about GoFundMe is that it has processed more than $15 Billion in donations for people who post their plight on the platform. There are at least two separate fees involved: 5% of donation is charged to the person in dire need, and 2.9% to people making the donation. 8% return on the churn. Not bad, eh?

I do NOT want anyone to assume this column is a hit piece on Tim Cadogan, despite any prior experiences you may have had with Stanford MBA’s or McKinsey consultants. He could turn out to be a perfectly decent family guy. A wife, two kids, and a golden retriever named Luna. He could be a genius who plays classical piano and cultivates bonsai in his spare time. Let’s assume the best, okay?

Here's where I break ranks with GoFundMe’s podcast though: Tim Cadogan says all this grocery begging which took place over the last 3 years on his platform is because of the $hitty US economy. An economy which has record low unemployment, record stock market highs, and record government spending on social programs. Exactly how are online grocery beggars getting screwed by the economy, Mr. Cadogan? Could this possibly be a case of a small scam snowballing, and going viral?

If anyone wants to see real economic misery, just stick around for a while. Job losses, home foreclosures, stock and bitcoin crashes. You’ll know it when it comes Mr. Cadogan, because people will stop queueing up on your crowdfunding platform to give money away to someone they’ve never met.

I'm just sayin' . . .



GoFundMe CEO says the economy is so bad that more of his customers are crowdfunding just to pay for their groceries

Tim Cadogan - Wikipedia