A well-known KOL in the cryptocurrency community is embroiled in a "fraudulent donation" scandal, accused of fabricating donation receipts for the Hong Kong fire, sparking a public outcry

Author: Rhythm BlockBeats

A severe fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po Hong Fuk Court has resulted in hundreds of casualties and property losses. Charitable organizations such as Yan Chai Hospital have quickly established emergency relief funds to support the affected people. Many companies and individuals in the cryptocurrency industry have also provided support, including industry giants like Binance and Matrixport, which donated tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars. However, on December 1, well-known KOL in the cryptocurrency community @Elizabethofyou (Elizabeth) became embroiled in a "donation fraud" scandal, as the community discovered that her donation receipt of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars appeared to be digitally altered.

A Screenshot Sparks a "Fact-Checking" Movement

On December 1, Elizabeth, a KOL in the cryptocurrency field with 130,000 followers, posted 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 ruthless 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 turned sharply within hours. Several members of the cryptocurrency community on Twitter, including @CryptoNyaRu and @abyssofgambling, analyzed the screenshot and pointed out multiple suspicious details:

1. Abnormal Font: The number "2" in the amount "200000" appears noticeably thinner than the font style of the "Year-round Donation Hotline" number below.

2. Misaligned Layout: The amount line and the text below cannot be aligned, showing a significant pixel height discrepancy, indicative of typical image editing software (such as Photoshop) modification traces.

The suspicions quickly escalated, and the positive reception reversed instantly. The community believed that if this was indeed a scam, it was extremely malicious to exploit the tragedy for sympathy, and hoped Elizabeth could provide evidence to prove the donation was real.

Response from the Involved Party 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 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, lacking 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 advertisement tweets. This handling further enraged the public.

According to the Hong Kong 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." If convicted, such crimes could lead to a maximum 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 proof authenticity. As of now, there has been no latest response from donation organizations or 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 star Zhang Ziyi. During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Zhang Ziyi claimed to have donated 1 million yuan. However, in 2010, netizens found that the actual amount received was only 840,000 yuan, and the whereabouts of the millions of dollars she claimed to have raised at 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 movie "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" failing to fulfill the promise, and they subsequently rushed to donate the materials and publicly apologized. Although not legally classified as fraud, the incident was deemed "hypocritical" by the public, significantly undermining her credibility as a public figure.