SINGAPORE, Nov 2 — What started as a fundraising appeal for the orphaned son of the couple killed in the Tampines Ave 12 crash, soon found itself under scrutiny after online users questioned the legitimacy of the drive.

The allegations prompted its organiser to publicly defend the appeal. 

As of today, donations for the fundraiser had exceeded S$428,000 (RM1.4 million).

The fundraiser was started by a relative of one of the deceased victims following the fatal Tampines crash. 

The Tampines Ave 12 multi-vehicle accident on Thursday (October 29) killed the 24-year-old rider and his wife, who was also 24. The couple were reportedly expecting their second child.  

News of the plight of their first child, now orphaned, spread online, with many netizens asking how they could contribute to or donate to the grieving family.

Online user "sgfirecouple" shared how the fundraising organiser had originally responded to his story, saying she was heartened by the amount of support the family was receiving online.  

The organiser subsequently shared an Instagram story (IGS) of herself and a boy, allegedly the deceased couple's son, along with a Paynow QR code, inviting interested netizens to make a contribution.  

She also said that while donations were being sent to her personal bank account, she was working with the family to open a bank account for the couple's son. 

Donations vs doubt

Questions over the fundraiser's legitimacy surfaced over the weekend when a Facebook user claimed she did not know who the fundraising organiser was.

Her caption read, "Stop sharing the donation and do not scan the PayNow. We don't know this person."

Around the same time, the fundraising organiser created a Give.Asia fundraising page and began sharing it, along with a picture of the deceased couple and their son.

In her new post, she said that she had to censor the little boy's face due to a gag order.  

The fundraising organiser subsequently addressed the concerns in a series of Instagram Stories.

According to her, the original PayNow QR code was shared after family members, friends and followers asked how they could contribute.

As interest in the case grew, she decided to move the fundraising effort to Give.Asia.

The organiser, via her IGS, said that all donations which had originally come through via the Paynow were properly recorded "to ensure complete transparency", and that the Paynow QR code has since expired.  

She added that the funds received would be used solely for the child's education, medical expenses and other needs.

According to the organiser, she has also clarified any misunderstandings regarding the fundraising with relevant parties.

Setting up fundraisers in Singapore

In her IGS, the organiser said that setting up a fundraiser in Singapore was not easy and that there were documentation steps and verification steps involved, attempting to further-prove her legitimacy.  

Since social issues began garnering attention online, more Singaporeans have been turning to virtual fundraising platforms to set up fundraisers.  

However, when setting up a fundraiser, the organiser is usually required to submit documentation before a campaign is approved - documentation can be in the form of a hospital letter, hospital bills, invoices or legal letters.  

Platforms like give.asia require fundraisers to submit all relevant documentation before granting approval for the fundraiser to be published.  

Other platforms such as giving.sg conduct relevant checks before approving a campaign to be published on their site.  

The fundraiser involving the Tampines fatal crash, "Help an orphan: A community coming together for his future", has since received over S$428,000 in donations from more than 11,000 donors. — AsiaOne