A serious fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po Hongfuk Court resulted in hundreds of casualties and property losses. Charitable organizations such as Yan Chai Hospital quickly established emergency aid funds to support the affected individuals. Many companies and individuals in the cryptocurrency industry also provided support, including industry giants like Binance and Matrixport, which donated millions of Hong Kong dollars. However, on December 1, well-known cryptocurrency community KOL @Elizabethofyou (Elizabeth) became embroiled in a "donation fraud" scandal when the community discovered that her donation receipt of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars appeared to be digitally altered.
A Screenshot Sparks a "Fact-Checking" Campaign
On December 1, Elizabeth, a cryptocurrency KOL with 130,000 followers, posted a tweet on social platform X (formerly Twitter), claiming to have donated 200,000 Hong Kong dollars to Yan Chai Hospital to support the victims of the Tai Po fire. The tweet included a screenshot of the transfer confirmation and called for "compassion in the face of a merciless fire." The act of kindness quickly garnered over 600,000 views and 1,500 likes, and was seen as a positive representation of the industry.
However, public opinion shifted dramatically within hours. Several members of the cryptocurrency community on Twitter, including @CryptoNyaRu and @abyssofgambling, analyzed the screenshot and pointed out multiple discrepancies:
1. Font Anomaly: The number "2" in the amount "200000" appears noticeably thinner than the font style of the "Year-round Donation Hotline" number below.
2. Misalignment: The amount line does not align with the text below, showing a clear pixel height discrepancy, indicative of typical image editing software (like Photoshop) modifications.
The doubts quickly escalated, and the positive reception turned negative. The community expressed that if this was indeed a scam, it was an egregious act of exploiting human suffering for sympathy, and they hoped Elizabeth could provide evidence to prove the donation was legitimate.
The Respondent's Reply and Escalation of Public Opinion
In the face of overwhelming skepticism, Elizabeth released a video response on the evening of the 1st. In the video, she insisted that she "has donated and feels no guilt," stating that this would be her last response, and then displayed another screenshot.
This new screenshot also differed from the first, with discrepancies in the phone number, and the video displayed a static webpage without refreshing to show dynamic content. Meanwhile, netizens found her provided evidence unconvincing, as it lacked bank transaction records or an official receipt from Yan Chai Hospital.
After releasing her response, Elizabeth ignored numerous comments demanding proof from her and continued to post commercial advertisements. This handling further infuriated the public.
According to Hong Kong's Theft Ordinance, misleading the public through false statements to gain benefits (including advertising collaboration opportunities and brand image enhancement due to traffic) may constitute "fraud" or "obtaining property by deception." Such crimes, if convicted, can lead to a maximum sentence of 10 to 14 years in prison. Netizens began to verify with the donation organizations and believed that if the fraud was confirmed, there should be legal consequences. Some KOLs also conducted practical comparisons of donation receipts for authenticity. As of now, there has been no latest response from any donation organization regarding Elizabeth.
Historical Warning: The Cost of Celebrity "Donation Fraud"
Using charity for false publicity is not an isolated incident in the history of public figures.
The most famous case involves international film star Zhang Ziyi. During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Zhang Ziyi claimed to have donated 1 million yuan. However, in 2010, netizens verified that the actual amount received was only 840,000 yuan, and the whereabouts of the millions of dollars she claimed to have raised in Cannes were unclear.
After the incident broke, Zhang Ziyi's public image plummeted, facing an unprecedented trust crisis. Ultimately, her agent apologized, stating it was a "management oversight," made up the difference, and hired an auditing firm to audit and publicly disclose the foundation's accounts. Despite taking remedial measures, the "donation fraud" label followed her for many years.
Famous actress Yang Mi, while promoting the film "I Am a Witness" in 2015, promised to donate typewriters and blind sticks to a special education school in Chengdu. However, by 2018, the school stated that it had never received the materials.
Yang Mi's studio explained that it was due to the "intermediary's" negligence that the donation was not fulfilled, and they subsequently rushed to donate the materials and publicly apologized. Although it was not legally classified as fraud, the incident was characterized by the public as "hypocrisy," significantly undermining her credibility as a public figure.
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