Woman Uses Fundraiser to Pay for Carnival Cruise

Most people donate to GoFundMe and other online fundraiser sites to help someone in need, not to help pay for someone’s cruise vacation.   While taking a cruise is one of the best bang-for-your-buck ways of getting away, it’s still not super cheap for those on a tight budget.

But for one woman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the donation site seemed like the perfect way for her to bankroll that getaway, although in the end, she got a different kind of “booking”.

Using a Cousin’s Injury for Personal Gain

According to news reports, 29-year-old Vanessa Lewis of Oklahoma Borough set up a GoFundMe in August 2024 for her cousin, Josh Robinson, who had been left with a traumatic brain injury after a serious motorcycle crash.

Donations poured in—over $40,000— a huge lifeline for Robinson’s growing medical bills and long-term care.

But according to investigators, that money never went where donors thought it would. Instead, bank records show Lewis allegedly took more than $37,000 for her own use.

The Red Flags

Suspicion started when Robinson’s family noticed something didn’t add up. His father, now his legal guardian, grew suspicious after spotting vacation photos of Lewis online.

He eventually alerted police, who dug into the GoFundMe account. What they found shocked everyone.

By March 2025, the once-hefty account had dwindled to just over $3,000. Investigators discovered a $6,200 purchase for a Carnival cruise out of Miami, more than $20,000 wired elsewhere, and thousands burned on online gaming.

Facing Felony Charges

Lewis was arrested and charged with theft by deception, financial exploitation of a care-dependent person, receiving stolen property, and theft by failure to deposit funds.

She’s out on a $10,000 unsecured bond, with a preliminary hearing set for September 16, 2025.

If convicted, she could face up to seven years behind bars and fines pushing $15,000.

Family’s Heartbreak

For Robinson’s family, the alleged betrayal is gut-wrenching. “My heart breaks for him. I just don’t get it, how anybody could take advantage of someone that is down as he is, and she’s out living her life,” one relative told local reporters.

Bigger Picture

This isn’t the first time someone has been accused of misusing online fundraising platforms, and it likely won’t be the last.

GoFundMe insists it works with law enforcement on fraud cases and points to its “Giving Guarantee,” a policy meant to reassure donors that their contributions are protected if money is misused.

Donors should, whenever possible, double-check who’s behind a campaign and how updates about the money are shared.

Because while most of us are just wishing we could set aside enough for a getaway, it turns out at least one person allegedly found her “vacation fund” at everyone else’s expense.