Opinion: Anatomy of an (alleged) online scam
Society & Culture
The recent case of Luo Er, a father whose blogging about his daughter’s leukemia brought him about USD 400,000 in donations in less than 72 hours, illustrates "social media’s disruption of established practices and norms in both blogging and charity," writes Ma Tianjie. "The case highlights the need for vetting mechanisms and professional organizers of philanthropic resources. The worthiness of someone for charitable support should be based on actual needs, not one’s ability to tell heart-wrenching stories."
