A well-known crypto KOL is embroiled in a "fraudulent donation scandal," accused of forging Hong Kong fire donation receipts, sparking a public outcry.

Author: Rhythm BlockBeats

The serious fire at Hong Fu Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, resulted in hundreds of casualties and property losses. Charitable organizations such as Yan Chai Hospital immediately set up emergency relief funds to support those affected. Many companies and individuals in the cryptocurrency industry also provided support, including industry giants such as Binance and Matrixport, each donating tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars. However, on December 1, a well-known KOL in the crypto community, @Elizabethofyou (Elizabeth), became embroiled in a "fraudulent donation scandal" after the community discovered that her donation certificate for 200,000 HKD appeared to be photoshopped.

A Screenshot Sparks an "Anti-Fraud" Campaign

On December 1, Elizabeth, a crypto KOL with 130,000 followers, posted on social platform X (formerly Twitter), claiming to have donated 200,000 HKD to Yan Chai Hospital to support victims of the Tai Po fire. The post included a screenshot of the transfer confirmation and a caption calling for compassion, "The fire is merciless, but people are compassionate." The good deed quickly garnered over 600,000 views and 1,500 likes, and was once seen as a positive example in the industry.

However, public opinion shifted dramatically within a few hours. Several crypto community members on Twitter, including @CryptoNyaRu and @abyssofgambling, analyzed the screenshot and pointed out several suspicious points:

1. Font anomaly: The "2" in the amount "200000" is noticeably thinner than the font used in the "Annual Donation Hotline" number below, indicating inconsistency in font style.

2. Misaligned layout: The amount line does not align with the text below, and there is a clear pixel height discrepancy, showing typical signs of image editing software (such as Photoshop) manipulation.

The suspicions quickly escalated, and the initial praise turned into backlash. The community believed that if this was indeed a scam, using a tragedy to gain sympathy was extremely egregious, and hoped Elizabeth could provide evidence to prove the donation was real.

The Person Involved Responds as Public Opinion Escalates

Facing overwhelming doubts, Elizabeth posted a video response on the evening of the 1st. In the video, she insisted that she had "already donated, with a clear conscience," and stated that this would be her last response, then showed another screenshot.

This screenshot also differed from the first, with discrepancies in the phone number. Moreover, the video showed a static webpage without any dynamic refresh, and netizens felt that the evidence provided was unconvincing, lacking bank transaction records or an official receipt from Yan Chai Hospital.

After posting her response, Elizabeth ignored the many comments demanding proof and continued to post commercial advertisements. This approach further angered the public.

According to Hong Kong's Theft Ordinance, misleading the public through false statements for personal gain (including advertising opportunities and brand image enhancement from increased traffic) may constitute "fraud" or "obtaining property by deception." Upon conviction, such crimes can carry a maximum sentence of 10 to 14 years in prison. Netizens began seeking verification from the donation organizations and believed that if the fraudulent donation was true, there should be legal consequences. Some KOLs even made actual donations to compare the authenticity of the certificates. As of now, there has been no latest response from the donation organizations or Elizabeth.

Historical Warning: The Cost of Celebrity "Fraudulent Donations"

Using charity for false publicity is not unprecedented among public figures.

The most famous case is that of international movie star Zhang Ziyi. During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Zhang Ziyi claimed to have donated 1 million RMB. However, in 2010, netizens discovered that only 840,000 RMB had actually been received, and the whereabouts of millions of dollars in donations she claimed to have raised at Cannes were unknown.

After the incident broke out, Zhang Ziyi's public image plummeted, facing an unprecedented trust crisis. Eventually, her agent apologized, citing "management negligence," made up the shortfall, and hired an auditing firm to publicly audit the foundation's accounts. Although remedial measures were taken, the "fraudulent donation" label followed her for years.

Famous actress Yang Mi, while promoting the movie "The Witness" in 2015, promised to donate typewriters and white canes to a special education school in Chengdu. However, by 2018, the school stated they had never received the materials.

Yang Mi's studio explained that the failure was due to a "middleman's" negligence, and subsequently made an emergency donation and issued a public apology. Although it was not legally defined as fraud, the public labeled it as "hypocrisy," greatly undermining her credibility as a public figure.