Shadow Networks: Examination Reveals Troubling Practices in Online Charity Fundraising
A disturbing pattern of opaque fundraising and questionable practices has emerged involving organizations soliciting donations for sick children, raising serious concerns about where the money ultimately ends up. An investigation by time.news reveals a network of entities potentially exploiting vulnerable families under the guise of charitable giving.
The investigation began with Viktoriia, a young girl whose mother shared a contract with investigators detailing an agreement with the organization Chance letikva. The document stipulated a $1,500 (£1,122) filming fee, plus an additional $8,000 (£5,986) upon reaching an unspecified fundraising goal – a figure deliberately left blank. This initial agreement sparked a deeper inquiry into the operations of Chance Letikva and its connections to a wider web of similar entities.
The investigation uncovered discrepancies in Chance Letikva’s physical presence. The contract listed an address in New York, while the organization’s website cited a location in Beit Shemesh, Israel, approximately an hour from Jerusalem. Investigators found no sign of operations at either address.
Further investigation revealed that Chance Letikva appears to be one of many organizations employing similar tactics. A man identified as “Oleh,” who filmed Viktoriia’s fundraising campaign,told a time.news producer – posing as a freind of a sick child – that he works with numerous such groups. “Each time, it’s a different one,” he confessed. “I hate to put it this way,but they work kind of like a conveyor belt.”
“Oleh” estimated that “about a dozen similar companies” actively solicit “material” – likely referring to compelling stories and images of sick children. He specifically named Saint Teresa and Little Angels, both registered in the United States, as examples. A review of the registration documents for thes organizations consistently revealed the name Erez hadari.
The central question remains: where is the money going? More than a year after Viktoriia’s campaign was filmed, her mother, Olena, contacted “Oleh,” who also goes by the online alias Alex Kohen, seeking answers. Shortly after, a representative from Chance Letikva contacted Olena, claiming the donations had been used for advertising.
This explanation was echoed by Mr. Hadari himself when confronted by aljin, the mother of another child, Khalil. “There is cost of advertising. So the company lost money,” Mr. Hadari stated, offering no supporting evidence. Charity experts consulted by time.news indicated that advertising costs should typically not exceed 20% of total funds raised.
A former recruiter for Chance Letikva, speaking on condition of anonymity, provided a chilling account of the organization’s selection process. The recruiter described being dispatched to oncology clinics with specific criteria in mind. “They were always looking for beautiful children with white skin.The child had to be three to nine years old. They had to know how to speak well.They had to be without hair,” the source revealed.
Photos of potential candidates were submitted to Erez Hadari for approval. “They asked me for photos, to see if the child is right, and I would send it to Erez,” the whistleblower explained. Mr. Hadari would then forward the images to an unidentified individual in Israel.
Attempts to reach Mr. hadari at two addresses in Canada were unsuccessful.He responded to a voice note inquiry regarding the crowdfunding efforts by stating the organization “has never been active,” without clarifying which entity he was referring to. He subsequently ignored a follow-up voice note and letter detailing the investigation’s findings and allegations.
The investigation raises profound ethical questions about the exploitation of vulnerable families and the lack of openness in online charity fundraising. The full extent of the financial network and the ultimate destination of the funds remain unclear, demanding further scrutiny from authorities and a renewed commitment to protecting those seeking help.
