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I think Go Fund Me probably has less outright scams because the whole point is that you are asking for money and giving nothing in return. Compare to Kickstart

I think Go Fund Me probably has less outright scams because the whole point is that you are asking for money and giving nothing in return. Compare to Kickstarter where many people try to sell ideas and products that they have no intention or ability to bring to fruition.

dragonwriter 8y ago
> I think Go Fund Me probably has less outright scams because the whole point is that you are asking for money and giving nothing in return. Scams offering emotional/spiritual rewards rather than concrete material benefits are common precisely because those duped noticing and having remedy for the deception is far less likely unless someone involved gives the game up. If I ask $10,000 and offer you a car in return, you’ll notice not getting a car. If I ask $10,000 and offer to relieve the (fictional) plight of a stranger, you're a lot less likely to notice you've been played.
craftyguy 8y ago
I think gofundme would have more scams in that case, since they would be MUCH harder to detect since nothing is promised to 'donors' in return. On kickstarter, you at least have to pretend for a while that you're making progress, and failing to deliver anything at the end makes it even harder for you to do it all over again.
- jfk13 8y ago
  Indeed. While I'm sure there are genuine cases of need that deserve our sympathy (and maybe even our money), the total lack of verification and accountability makes me really wary. AFAICS, all it takes to collect thousands from random strangers is the ability to present a heart-wrenching story. The entire setup is such that facts are entirely optional.
payitforward 8y ago
On Kickstarter, I'd expect more accountability given that people will either receive their rewards or not receive them. This is quite a bit easier to measure than funds going into a pot to "help" someone. My point: I think it's easier to identify outright scams on Kickstarter than on GoFundMe. I don't necessarily know what site is more vulnerable to scams.

dragonwriter 8y ago

> I think Go Fund Me probably has less outright scams because the whole point is that you are asking for money and giving nothing in return. Scams offering emotional/spiritual rewards rather than concrete material benefits are common precisely because those duped noticing and having remedy for the deception is far less likely unless someone involved gives the game up. If I ask $10,000 and offer you a car in return, you’ll notice not getting a car. If I ask $10,000 and offer to relieve the (fictional) plight of a stranger, you're a lot less likely to notice you've been played.

craftyguy 8y ago

I think gofundme would have more scams in that case, since they would be MUCH harder to detect since nothing is promised to 'donors' in return. On kickstarter, you at least have to pretend for a while that you're making progress, and failing to deliver anything at the end makes it even harder for you to do it all over again.

jfk13 8y ago
Indeed. While I'm sure there are genuine cases of need that deserve our sympathy (and maybe even our money), the total lack of verification and accountability makes me really wary. AFAICS, all it takes to collect thousands from random strangers is the ability to present a heart-wrenching story. The entire setup is such that facts are entirely optional.

payitforward 8y ago

On Kickstarter, I'd expect more accountability given that people will either receive their rewards or not receive them. This is quite a bit easier to measure than funds going into a pot to "help" someone. My point: I think it's easier to identify outright scams on Kickstarter than on GoFundMe. I don't necessarily know what site is more vulnerable to scams.