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Florida Woman Charged With Posing as Father of Texas Flood Victim to Run Fake Fundraisers

Prosecutors filed the case based on platform and bank records tying the campaigns to her.

Overview

  • Investigators say GoFundMe and SpotFund pages were created on July 8, 2025, using Matthew Childress’ name and his daughter Chloe’s photo and biography.
  • Records from the platforms linked the accounts to 28-year-old Maitlin White of Crestview, Florida, including her name, phone, email, and a SpotFund connection to her Chime account.
  • According to court documents, White admitted creating the pages and said she was a single mother looking for a quick way to make money.
  • The Harris County District Attorney’s Office filed the online impersonation case on Jan. 2, 2026, and court records list her as not in custody with no bond set.
  • Matthew Childress reported the fake fundraiser on July 10, officials issued public warnings soon after, and the amount raised remains unconfirmed.