Fake bids disrupt Pokimane's charity auction

Pokimane fans were left shocked after CDawgVA's charity auction, which included the chance to play video games with her, was overtaken by fake bids using stolen credit cards. 

On 15 July, Twitch viewers eagerly bid on unique opportunities such as gaming with Pokimane, hanging out with VTuber IronMouse, and owning a painting by PewDiePie.

The bids for the session with Pokimane skyrocketed to $500,000, astonishing both Pokimane and CDawgVA. Their disbelief was justified as it was soon discovered that most of these bids were fake. CDawgVA, disheartened by the situation, called out the pranksters for their misuse of the auction site. “Even though the $500,000 is fake, the real bidding number, from what I can gather, is still very high,” he said. “So, I’m still not sad, because it’s still a crazy amount of money that’s real.”

Tiltify, the auction platform, has since implemented bid verification. The current highest verified bid is $30,000 by 'Isaacwhy,' though it’s unclear if this is the YouTuber of the same name.

CDawgVA strongly criticised the fake bidders, questioning their motives. “It’s super cringe to fake money for charity,” he stated. “I think there is nothing sadder you can fake in life than donating money to charity. I think it’s so sad.”

He explained that the fake bidders used stolen credit cards and fake emails and addresses to deceive the site. “Why would you commit fraud to add a fake bid to a charity auction?” he questioned.

The 2024 charity auction aims to support the Immune Deficiency Foundation, providing resources, education, and support for patients diagnosed with primary immunodeficiency.