Tasteless online fundraising to save a rabbit called Bernd
Howard Lake | 20 September 2004 | News
A ‘C Krohm’ has published a Web page on which he demands a ‘donation’ of 1 million euros by 31 December 2004, or he will eat a rabbit called Bernd, a picture of which he has displayed.
Although there is speculation that it is a hoax, Web site owner C Krohm is claiming that people have already donated euros 32,776 via PayPal or a Lloyds TSB account.
While individuals have long used the Internet to raise funds for their personal needs, this appeal is slightly different because its perpetrator is claiming that at least 80% of monies raised will be donated to an unnamed charitable organisation. C Krohm will even post a copy of the receipt for the money in early January.
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Krohm has also used an online printing service to sell a range of t-shirts promoting his ransom appeal, all with pictures of the rabbit on them.
Third Sector magazine reports that the RSPCA is trying to close down the ‘hostage rabbit’ site and has contacted with Lloyds TSB about the bank account being used. The charity is concerned that the Web site might spark copycat ransom appeals and genuine mistreatment of animals.
We won’t link here to the site, principally because visits to the site seem to produce a series of pop-ups.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.