Funeral director covers costs for Atlanta boy after fake fundraising
A local funeral director paid for the arrangements of 13-year-old Mason Towler after a website falsely claimed to have raised $16,000.
A funeral director in Atlanta has covered the full costs for the funeral of 13-year-old Mason Towler after his family failed to receive funds from unauthorised fundraising efforts, according to a Times of India report citing Atlanta News First.
The boy, who had autism, was killed on 29 January 2026 after being struck by a pickup truck on Interstate 75 near Cleveland Avenue.
The family reported that a website called GoFundRaiser.org displayed $16,000 in donations linked to the boy, but they never received any of the money.
The platform GoFundRaiser.org reportedly used photographs and stories from legitimate campaigns without permission and blocked access to its website following an investigation.
Earlier, Renee Sunshine Lewis, a bereavement advocate, allegedly created two GoFundMe campaigns that were removed for violating rules against fraudulent activities.
While those campaigns raised $175, GoFundMe confirmed the money was refunded to the original contributors and never reached the family.
Funeral director Kyle Stocks of Stocks Funeral Home Kirkwood Chapel eventually paid for the cremation, service, and obituary to assist the parents, Salena Holmes and DeMarko Towler.