The family of the security guard killed after he confronted the Buffalo shooter almost fell victim to a scammer who allegedly tried to steal about $40,000 from the GoFundMe account they created for the slain hero.
The crowdfunding account, which was created by Aaron Salter Jr.’s son following his May 14 killing, has so far raised nearly $50,000. But Salton’s son, Aaron Salter III, told TMZ that a scammer tried to obtain his personal information and bank account numbers in an attempt to steal the donated money.
Salter III said he was taking a look at messages on the account when he saw a message from someone who had expressed a desire to donate $4,000. But after clicking on the message, he said his personal information was quickly swapped with another person in Mississippi.
Fortunately, though, GoFundMe managed to restore the account to the family after Salter III notified them about the incident. A spokesperson for GoFundMe also told TMZ that they responded to a phishing attempt on the account, and they quickly moved to secure it. The Salter family will directly receive the donated funds.
Had the scammer been successful, Salter III said the loss would have taken a toll on their family as they’re already dealing with his father’s death.
Aaron Salter Jr. was on duty as a security guard at Tops Friendly Markets when 18-year-old Payton Gendron entered the premises on May 14 and allegedly opened fire. The retired police officer confronted Gendron and fired at him. But the bullets did not penetrate Gendron as he was wearing an armored vest. Grendon returned fire and killed Salter. The slain security guard was among the 11 people Gendron is accused of killing.
Officials in Buffalo said the deceased security guard’s reaction after Gendron opened fire likely saved others from being killed.
