27-05-2025
Jamie's Dream Team targeted by scammers, founder says
Jamie's Dream Team in McKeesport makes dreams come true. They help families of those who are dealing with serious illness, injury, or disability, and now, impersonators are stealing donations away.
On a day when the founder, Jamie Ward, wants to work on making others' dreams come true, she's on the phone calling Venmo to take down fraudulent accounts pretending to be her nonprofit.
It all started with a request to help a 7-year-old with his dream birthday. It was his first birthday actually to spend with friends around.
"He has been on home-bound instruction his whole life," Ward said. "His mom called them after someone stole from her. She said she went to the store to buy his birthday gifts, and when she went to the store, her bank account was... there was no money there."
Ward agreed to have her nonprofit help the family, and they posted about the boy's dream birthday, asking for donations. At least 30 people donated and told Ward, but that's when she noticed the money didn't go to them.
"These people are finding it in the kindness of their heart to donate, and they're getting ripped off," said Ward.
She said the hackers created five Venmo accounts. Then, the fraudsters went so far as to request money from previous donors, which is something the nonprofit said they would never do.
Ward then called Venmo.
"They just said, 'OK, we'll look into it.' That's not an answer."
So far, Venmo's support team has taken down three of the fake accounts, but now people will be leery to donate to their cause, and it's stealing precious time from Jamie's Dream Team fulfilling other dreams.
Jamie's Dream Team has since deleted their old Venmo account and created a new one. Ward said people should report a fake account if they get a "payment request" from it.
Her final words, though, are an offer of help in a time of being hurt themselves.
"Whoever this is, if you're struggling that bad, call us, don't hack us, call us and tell us," Ward said.
Ward said they will report this issue to the District Attorney on Tuesday. In the meantime, if you want to donate, they will pick up that donation in person or through the nonprofit's website.
