What happens to money donated to Jay Slater's GoFundMe page?
Donations continue after Slater’s body was discovered in Tenerife on 15 July.
The remaining money raised to help find Jay Slater will be used to pay for his repatriation and funeral costs, his mother has said.
In an update published on the GoFundMe page on Thursday, Debbie Duncan said: "We are overwhelmed with grief and are so grateful for your support."
She thanked all the specialist teams and charities that had supported them during the search but said they were now working to "arrange Jay's repatriation to the UK".
She added: "The remaining funds, along with any future donations will be used to help with this if needed and to pay for Jay’s funeral costs back home. We want to give our boy the send-off he deserves so please do continue to share and support our fundraiser however you can."
At the time of the update, the fundraiser had raised more than £60,000, twice its original goal of £30,000.
Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on 17 June after leaving the NRG music festival at the Papagayo nightclub in Tenerife, which he had attended with two friends. His body was discovered near the village of Masca on Monday, following a month-long search.
Slater’s family had previously used the money to hire specialist search teams after Spanish authorities dialled down their investigation.
Duncan also said the funds were being used to pay for the living costs of friends and family who had flown to Tenerife to help find her son.
The fundraiser was set up by Lucy Law, Slater’s friend and the last person to speak to him. GoFundMe told Yahoo News UK on Tuesday they would 'continue to work with Jay's family' regarding the funds.
Matt Searle, CEO of the charity LBT Global which supports families who have loved ones in trouble abroad, told the BBC on Tuesday: "Debbie broke down on the phone when she heard that news. When the confirmation came through all hope was gone. There's no looking back now, no 'Maybe it's the wrong person' or 'Maybe it's going to change', it's there in the cold light of day."
He said Duncan was busy arranging the funeral because she "will just fall apart" if she doesn't do something to keep busy.
Watch: Inside the valley where missing British teenager's body was found
The Canary Islands High Court of Justice confirmed the identity of Slater’s body with the use of fingerprint technology. A spokesman for the court said the post-mortem examination report determined that the injuries he sustained were consistent with an accidental fall.
What checks does GoFundMe have in place?
On its website, GoFundMe provides a set of verification guidelines for users' campaigns, asking them to say who they are, who they are raising the funds for, their relationship to the beneficiary, how the funds will be spent, and how the funds will be delivered to the beneficiary.
GoFundMe told Yahoo News in a statement: “We are in regular contact with Jay’s family and will work together with them in the coming weeks on the next steps around the funds donated.”
The fundraising site states that an "overwhelming majority of fundraisers on the site are safe and legitimate, as fraudulent fundraisers make up less than one-tenth of 1% of all fundraisers" on its platform.
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"In the rare instance that someone does create a misleading fundraiser with the intention of taking advantage of others’ generosity, GoFundMe takes swift action to resolve the issue," it says on its website.
It says it relies on its community of users to flag suspected fraudulent cases and urges them to contact them here. Police and other law enforcement officers can contact GoFundMe here.
As soon as fundraisers start receiving money on the site, they request a withdrawal at any time, which does not affect the metre displayed on the main page showing total progress.
Users can click "withdraw" while logged into their account and follow the instructions and send the money directly to their bank account, which should take 2-5 business days to arrive.
Read more:
Jay Slater Rolex mystery remains as new nightclub footage emerges of tragic teenager and death site questions unanswered (Manchester Evening News)
Jay Slater's best friend pays heartbreaking tribute to 'happiest' person after body found on Tenerife (Evening Standard)
Jay Slater's mother pays tribute to 'beautiful boy' after his body found in Tenerife (Sky News)
