Dad of 4 targeted in viral Apple Pay prank gets $400K outpouring of support
By Julia Avant
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DETROIT (WWJ) — A Red Baron worker’s frustrated reaction to a social media prank at a White Lake market has gone viral and drawn thousands of donors to an online fundraiser.
The man was restocking frozen pizzas when a social media user, filming themselves, played the Apple Pay payment sound, leading him to think he’d been scammed out of $10. The person filming had been approaching random people with the same stunt, making them believe a stranger had just taken their money.
The worker didn’t laugh.
“I don’t have time for this. My life is hard enough as it is,” he says in the video. “You’re probably making money off this. I can’t pay my mortgage, and I got four kids at home.”
Many viewers sided with the worker instead of the person filming, and social media users began donating. In just two days, thousands of people gave amounts ranging from $10 to $30,000 to the father of four.
The fundraiser had passed $400,000 at last check, and the goal has since been raised to $700,000.
The account of the person who filmed the encounter has been deactivated.
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