Issue Paper

The presence of disinformation on crowdfunding platforms has harmful consequences for both users and internet companies. Disinformation can destabilize a user’s trust while jeopardizing a company's growth. As the internet enabled stronger lines of communication and eased access to larger audiences, crowdfunding companies capitalized on this phenomenon to widen their scope. The greater accessibility to donations, however, ultimately facilitated the perpetuation of fraudulent schemes. Fraudulent postings pose a financial risk to users, while undermining the mission and reputation of a crowdfunding company, draining its finances, and leaving it legally liable. This paper will examine disinformation on crowdfunding platforms using GoFundMe.com as a case study. To deter misinformation on crowdfunding sites, I will argue that content moderation and analysis, transparency, and regulation are essential in maintaining user trust, and information professionals are best suited to implement these recommendations of fraud detection and mitigation.