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Over $2m raised for Boston bombing victims



Online well-wishers have overwhelmed the victims of Monday's Boston marathon bombing with the outpouring of donations made to charities set up to help them.


Less than one week after the twin blasts ripped through the city, more than $2 million donated through 23,000 pledges have been registered online by members of the public shocked by terror attack.


That includes almost $500,000 for Celeste and Sydney Corcoran of Lowell, Massachusetts, a mother and daughter who were both seriously injured at the finish line and more than $560,000 for Boston newlyweds Jessica Kensky Downes and Patrick Downes, who lost a leg each in the blasts.



Victims: Jessica Kensky Downes, right, and Patrick Downes, left, were both injured in the attack but well-wishers have donated more than $560,000 towards their recovery

'All of us were like, ‘How can we help?’ said Leslie Kelly, 56, of Pebble Beach, California to NBC News - whose two daughters grew up with Jessica Downes, 32.


'We felt so helpless. I thought, we can’t all send flowers. I couldn’t sleep all night. I got up the next morning and started a Wells Fargo account and then got the word: You need to do something online.'




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Needing to do something, Kelly started up an account at GoFundMe and other friends of the pair donated to GiveForward, both quick and easy methods of donating money to charitable victims.


'Crowdfunding is actually very empowering to the donors and supporters,' said Brad Damphousse, chief executive of GoFundMe, which to date has raised nearly $1.3 million through the 'Believe in Boston' campaigns.







Generous: Almost $500,000 has been raised for Celeste and Sydney Corcoran of Lowell, Massachusetts, pictured, a mother and daughter who were both seriously injured at the finish line


'It’s a way of being part of the solution instead of smoldering about the problem.'


Experts however, have warned that some online charities could be fronts for fraud and warned the public to only donated to official sites.


'You want to make sure that the money you donate goes to the intended party,' said Allan Bachman, education manager for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners to NBC News.

And major crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe have said that they vet anyone setting up accounts for medical victims and will cancel the appeal if they see anything suspicious.


'We’ll suspend and investigate the fundraiser after one flag,' said Ethan Austin, president of GiveForward, which has altogether raised more than $41 million since it started in 2008.






Tragic: Jessica Kensky Downes and Patrick Downes, who lost a leg each in the blasts

Typically, the charities take a five percent fee from all money raised and another 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction goes to billing fees charged through PayPal.


Some charge seven percent, that includes billing charges, while some offer the donor the option of covering the charges so that all the money goes to recipients.


But still, some are worried for the potential of fraud within the sites who monitor themselves.


'It’s better than nothing at all, but self-policing has its limits,' said Ken Berger, president and chief executive of Charity Navigator - a nonprofit group who checks charities.


However, for Leslie Kelly, giving is all she wants and she trusts people not to abuse the goodwill of others.
'There's so many more good people out there than evil,' Kelly said to NBC News, adding that the funds will go to pay for medical care not covered by the couple's insurance.

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