BROOKFIELD, Wis. — Oscar's Frozen Custard in the town of Brookfield caught fire early Tuesday morning and was reduced to rubble. The beloved community staple burned to the ground.
Then, someone tried to take advantage of the tragedy by raising money without permission in the shop's name.
"I think it's wrong to make a profit off somebody's tragedy," community member Brittany Hassler said.
Hassler, who has lived in Waukesha County for decades, added, "Oscar's is Waukesha, and I know it's in Franklin and other areas, but it's kind of what makes Waukesha, Waukesha."
For her, Oscar's is a core memory.
"I used to go there when I was younger with my dad, my grandma, and my neighbor," Hassler added.
Tuesday night, Hassler realized someone was trying to profit from Oscar's tragedy.
"Some guy posted it in my Facebook group on one of the posts I shared, and he goes, 'My sister made a GoFundMe,'" Hassler said.
The GoFundMe was posted on the Waukesha County Crime and Community Information Facebook page, which has more than 17,000 members. Hassler is the founder.
"I tried messaging him, he didn't respond, and I looked into his page and said there's something off about this," Hassler explained.
Watch: Fake GoFundMe's popping up pretending to support Oscar's Frozen Custard
She was right. During our interview with Hassler, we took a look at the GoFundMe page, which now says, "Fundraiser not found."
"So literally in the time we've been talking, it's been taken down, it seems like," reporter Jenna Rae said.
"Good, good," Hassler responded.
"Do you feel like you played a role in that?" Rae asked.
"Yes, yes, and if I did, I'm thankful. I don't want people donating to fake GoFundMes," Hassler said.
Neither does Oscar's owner.
"I was really disappointed that the person who put up the fake GoFundMe scam page could be so mean," owner Susie Taylor said.
Taylor confirmed they are not asking for donations on GoFundMe or anywhere else.
"It is so heartwarming that people want to help out and that they're so concerned, especially about our staff. We are making sure that our employees are taken care of, we're working out details with our insurance company, and they will be well taken care of," Taylor explained.
In the meantime, Hassler is asking people to support Oscar's other locations in Franklin and West Allis.
"Just go support Oscar's at their other locations. Pray for them that they can rebuild," Hassler said.
A GoFundMe spokesperson contacted TMJ4 after seeing our report, reiterating the platform's zero-tolerance policy for misuse.
You can read their statement below.
“When there’s an unspeakable tragedy, people have a deep urge to help and provide comfort to those affected - it’s not uncommon for someone to create a GoFundMe to help another individual after a news report.
For our team to verify a fundraiser, it must be clear who the organizer is, as well as the person, business, or charity they are raising funds for, the organizer’s relationship to the recipient of the funds, and how the funds will be used. If additional information is needed to complete the verification review, our team places a hold on a fundraiser which prevents funds from being withdrawn, pending further review.
In this case, both fundraisers were removed from the platform and zero dollars was raised. Our team will continue to monitor the platform for related fundraisers.”
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