A Florida woman was charged with online impersonation after posing as the father of Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old who died in Kerr County, Texas, during July flooding
Florida Woman Charged for Impersonating Grieving Father
A Florida woman allegedly posed as the father of a teenager who died in July’s Camp Mystic flooding in Texas. She tried to raise money, leading to criminal charges for online impersonation, according to authorities.
Maitlin Paige White, 28, from Crestview, Florida, is accused of impersonating Matthew Childress. She solicited donations after the death of his 18-year-old daughter, Chloe Childress. Chloe was a counselor at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas.
Investigators said White set up a GoFundMe page on July 8, just four days after Chloe’s death. She used Childress’s name and a photo of his daughter without his knowledge or consent. The page asked for donations to support the family after the flooding that killed 27 campers and counselors.
On July 10, Childress alerted authorities after finding the fundraising page. Detectives discovered another account on Spotfund under Childress’s name.
Investigators obtained records from both companies. They found information linking the accounts to White, including her name, phone number, email address, and bank account details. Both accounts were created on the same day, reported Texas news outlet KTRK.
When contacted by detectives, White claimed she was a “single mother of two young children” looking for a “quick way to make some money,” according to court records.
Alan Rosen, a Houston-area constable, posted on Facebook on July 11. He stated, “We have launched an investigation into a case in which an online scammer pretended to be the father of Houston’s Chloe Childress and set up a bogus GoFundMe page.” He noted that the page was shut down quickly after detectives contacted GoFundMe.
It was unclear if Rosen referred specifically to White’s case. However, his office confirmed the charges against White recently. They posted her photo on X, stating she was charged “for an online scam in which she pretended to raise money for the family of Chloe Childress of Houston.”
In a statement to Texas news outlet KRIV, GoFundMe said it “has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform.” They added that their team acted quickly to remove the fundraiser in July, refund donors, and ban the account from future fundraising. They confirmed that the organizer never had access to the total $5 raised.
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| July 4 | Chloe Childress’s Death | Flooding at Camp Mystic, Texas |
| July 8 | GoFundMe Page Created | By Maitlin Paige White using Childress’s name |
| July 10 | Childress Alerts Authorities | Discovery of fundraising page |
| July 11 | Investigation Announced | By Alan Rosen on Facebook |
