'It is very shocking': Family of Winnipeg car crash victim concerned thousands stolen from online fundraiser

A Winnipeg family is raising concerns about online donations made to help with their son's funeral expenses.

David Bunguke, 17, passed away after a car crash on Oct. 18.

His family said the community rallied together after his death, sharing many condolences and supporting two online fundraisers.

John Bunguke, David's father, said one GoFundMe page, which raised almost $7,000, was set up by one of his son's friends.

The other GoFundMe page, which raised nearly $12,000, was set up by someone he didn't know but assumed was another friend.

"But this person was not in contact with the family, that is why we started doubting this GoFundMe, maybe it was fake," said Bunguke.

Bunguke said he noticed the name of the beneficiary had changed once the fundraiser closed.

"It is a big fraud to make money through the death of someone and it is very shocking," he said. "The family is very shocked."

CTV News reached out to the page's creator via the website's message feature but did not hear back.

GoFundMe said fraudulent fundraisers are rare, but it is looking into the situation.

"I can confirm that our trust & safety team is investigating and has reached out to the organizer for more information," said a GoFundMe spokesperson in an email to CTV News.

"It's important to know that the platform is backed by the GoFundMe GoFundMe giving guarantee, which protects donors and their generosity. We guarantee a full donation refund in the rare case something isn't right."

GoFundMe said donors who don't want to wait for the investigation can request a refund online.

As Bunguke waits to see what happens with the crowdsourcing company, he plans to contact police.

He's worried people might not be as willing to help others in similar situations down the road because of incidents like this one.

"The people, they will not continue helping each other through these kinds of, uh, raising money to help," said Bunguke.

Bunguke said he saw the kindness of the community and felt very loved by those who contributed to the campaigns.

CTV News has contacted police but has not yet heard back.