Abbeville police arrest woman who allegedly ran scam through funding website

Abbeville police arrested Fallon Mouton Wednesday morning after she allegedly scammed nearly $4,600 from a funding website set up on behalf a Texas woman who recently passed away.
Officers arrested Mouton just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday at a residence on Wakeman Dubois in Abbeville.
Mouton allegedly set up an account at GoFundMe.com to benefit Jessica Rodriguez of Taylor, Texas, who died from complications during child birth.
“The account was set up to raise money to help the family with funeral expenses,” Abbeville Police Det. Leland Laseter said. “The account was set up by Fallon Mouton, someone the family has never met.”
Mouton is the sister of one of the coworkers of the late Rodriguez. The account claimed that it was set up to help the “family make ends meet.”
“That is what was put on the GoFundMe account,” Laseter said.
The account raised nearly $4,600, but the funds never reached any family member of Rodriguez.
Representatives of GoFundMe told television station KXAN in Austin, Texas that the “full balance of the campaign in question was withdrawn by the account holder before we received any complaints.”
Police in Taylor, Texas issued a warrant for Mouton’s arrest.
“We executed that warrant (Wednesday) morning,” Laseter said.
Mouton will be held in Abbeville while awaiting extradition to Texas.
GoFundMe has helped raise money for many notable causes, including more than $800,000 in 2013 for one of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Users can create accounts to raise funds for causes, events and projects, as well as to help families affected by accidents or illnesses. People from all over the world can donate to a particular account.
“A lot of these accounts are legitimate,” Laseter said. “There are some people who take advantage of this because people are going to be sympathetic and donate money.
“They scam people out of money and that takes away from people who really need the help.”
Laseter urged that those choosing to do so exercise caution when donating online.
“I would recommend that people not donate to an account unless they know the person who set it up,” Laseter said. “It’s so convenient to donate online, but I would be leery to donate online because of things like this.”