Scammers target 4-year-old drowning victim with fake GoFundMe pages

Scammers are stopping a mother's efforts to bury her 4-year-old son, who accidentally drowned recently.

Austin West died after falling into a pool April 4. His mother, Lacey West, said she is trying to make funeral arrangements, but scammers set up fake fundraising pages first.

"It's been torture, hell on earth," she said, describing the last week of her life, since the moment she found her son unconscious in a pool. "He loved to swim, he loved insects. He was my baby, my world."

Iredell County investigators said the boy fell into the pool and his death was likely an accident.

Reeling from the sudden loss, his family took another blow when they tried to set up a fundraising page to help pay for funeral costs.

"All these evil people going to make GoFundMe accounts in my child's name, using my son's name," West said. "He just lost his precious life."

West said her relatives and other donors fell victim to scammers using Austin's name. She said they received notices promising a refund, but the family needs at least $4,000 to give to the funeral home by Monday in order to schedule payment arrangements. So far, on the legitimate page, they have raised a little more than $400.

"People trying to rob my child and not even being able to give him the rest he deserves, I can't even put my baby to rest," West said.

In addition to the GoFundMe Page, the family also set up a fund at the bank:

Austin West Funeral Fund
c/o Bank of America
P.O. Box 2051
Gastonia, NC. 28053