US skateboarder Jason Vanporppal gives alleged scammer 24 hours to return R25K

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you realise you’ve been scammed? You did everything right. It seemed legit. You trusted that person had good intentions.

That’s what US skateboarder Jason Vanporppal must have felt when the gravity of the situation dawned on him. Fresh from skateboarding from Uganda to South Africa to raise funds for Uganda’s first public skatepark, the content creator took his plight to social media.

I got scammed!

In an Instagram post, Jason explained his predicament. “This is a video I thought I’d never make. I got scammed.” He continued to say that a lady helped him raise funds and lock down sponsorships for his GoFundMe.

Jason did a sponsorship video with a company; a deal she brokered, and received R25,000.  “I trusted her with my heart. I trusted her with everything,” he said. 

They met on Facebook

She reached out to him on social media. They spoke over the phone. There was no reason to doubt her. “A lot of people are asking why I trusted this random lady. It’s the same question I asked myself. She just seemed like she cared,” Jason admitted.

The woman received the money on his behalf, and the second he asked her for the cash for the GoFundMe, excuses started rolling in. Jason shared screenshots of WhatsApp conversations between them. She was sick. Her phone was stolen. She was admitted to hospital.

Towards the end of the post, he spoke directly to his alleged scammer: “You have 24 hours to return this R25,000. This is a lot of money that wasn’t just meant for me, but for disadvantaged kids.”

Show me the money

In his next post, Jason updated his followers. The woman contacted him. They hopped on a call. She promised to return the money to the company that did the sponsorship deal with Jason. 

With a 5pm, Tuesday (30 June), deadline, Jason wasn’t sure if she’d stick to her side of the deal. From her driver allegedly stealing the money to the brand company not being happy with his content, the lies continued.

Now it’s a wait-and-see game. Come 5pm, all eyes will be on Jason Vanporppal’s social media accounts.

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