A grieving Atlanta family faced an unexpected financial struggle after the death of their 13-year-old son, Mason Towler, when fundraising campaigns created in his name failed to provide the money needed for his funeral. A separate website later displayed $16,000 in donations linked to the boy’s death, but his family said it never received those funds. According to Atlanta News First, the ordeal involved unauthorised fundraising efforts, a suspected copycat website and weeks of uncertainty over funeral arrangements before a local funeral director stepped in to cover the costs.
How did a fake fundraising website show $16,000 for Mason Towler ‘s funeral
The online fundraising dispute followed the death of Mason Towler, who was killed on 29 January 2026 after wandering from his home and entering traffic on Interstate 75 near Cleveland Avenue in Atlanta. A pickup truck struck the 13-year-old, who had autism, leaving his parents, Salena Holmes and DeMarko Towler, facing the loss of their child and the challenge of arranging his funeral.According to Atlanta News First, a family friend connected Holmes with Renee Sunshine Lewis, a community leader and bereavement advocate who offered to help raise money for Mason’s funeral. Lewis requested photographs and sent Holmes an agreement seeking permission to launch a GoFundMe campaign and contact the media.Holmes declined the proposal, with text messages confirming that she had not authorised the fundraising effort.Despite the refusal, Lewis created two GoFundMe campaigns connected to Mason, according to a spokesperson for the platform. Both were subsequently removed for violating its rules against fraudulent or misleading fundraising activities.
The original campaigns failed to provide funeral assistance
The two campaigns created by Lewis reportedly collected just $175 before being removed. However, the money never reached Mason’s family.Atlanta News First reported that GoFundMe confirmed the donations had been refunded to their original contributors. The platform’s spokesperson said the refunds covered the entire $175 raised through those campaigns.The fundraising attempts therefore provided no financial assistance to Holmes and Towler, who were still trying to arrange a funeral for their son.The news organisation also attempted to contact Lewis for an explanation. Her telephone number was called multiple times, but one attempt ended with the call being disconnected. She did not respond to text messages or Facebook messages sent by the investigative team.State records cited by Atlanta News First showed that Lewis’ bereavement business, Gracy & Mercy Concierge Bereavement Services, had been dissolved in 2017.
A separate website displayed donations the family could not trace
With no money available from the earlier campaigns, Holmes faced the possibility of handing her son’s body over to the county for cremation. She eventually created her own GoFundMe fundraiser, which collected $700, according to Atlanta News First.The investigation then uncovered another troubling development. Information and photographs from both Holmes’ campaign and the earlier campaigns created by Lewis appeared on GoFundRaiser.org, a separate website that was not affiliated with GoFundMe.The two pages featuring Mason’s story displayed a combined total of $16,000 in donations. However, the family said it had never received the money, and there was no clear explanation of where the displayed funds had gone.Atlanta News First reported that the origins of the information on GoFundRaiser.org remained unclear. The website had reportedly reposted photographs and personal stories from legitimate fundraising campaigns without permission, according to news reports and dozens of consumer complaints cited by the investigation. Following the Atlanta News First investigation, GoFundRaiser.org blocked access to its website.
How did a funeral director help the family at its lowest point
While the fundraising dispute continued, Mason’s body remained at Stocks Funeral Home Kirkwood Chapel in Atlanta for nearly a month. His parents were still waiting to give their son a funeral, despite the money displayed online in connection with his death.The situation changed when Kyle Stocks, who had taken over the family funeral business the previous year, decided to intervene.According to Atlanta News First, Stocks covered the entire cost of Mason’s arrangements, including his cremation, funeral service and obituary. His decision meant the family could finally proceed without having to find additional money to meet the expenses.DeMarko Towler described the assistance as a significant relief, saying his son would be able to leave in the right way.Stocks’ decision stood in contrast to the unsuccessful fundraising efforts that had left the family struggling. Rather than relying on the money displayed on an unrelated website, the funeral director provided the practical assistance that the parents needed to arrange their son’s farewell.The investigation did not establish where the $16,000 displayed on GoFundRaiser.org had gone, leaving the discrepancy unresolved.
What precautions can donors take before contributing online
The case also highlighted the risks associated with online fundraising, particularly when people donate in response to stories involving bereaved families or urgent financial needs.Atlanta News First outlined several precautions recommended by consumer advocates to help donors avoid misleading campaigns.These include using established fundraising platforms, checking whether a website closely resembles a legitimate service and verifying the identity of the person organising a campaign. Donors are also advised to examine domain ownership, search for the organiser’s name and check public business records for information about associated organisations.The Federal Trade Commission recommends reverse image searches to determine whether photographs used in a fundraising campaign appear elsewhere online. Searching for the person’s name and details of the reported incident can also help establish whether the campaign is genuine.