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A website claiming to be a foundation set up in memory of Diogo Jota has been taken offline following allegations that it has no affiliation with his family or Liverpool. Jota and his brother tragically lost their lives in a car accident in July, mere days after Jota tied the knot with his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso as tributes continue to be paid across the sport.
The so-called Diogo Jota Foundation had been soliciting donations via the website diogojotafoundation.org, established three days post his demise, and purportedly raised just under $64,000 by August 21. A privacy screen from 'namecheaphosting' is displayed when attempting to search for the domain name.
It's understood that the site has no connections whatsoever with Liverpool or Jota's family. Liverpool informed the Telegraph that neither the club nor the family have any knowledge about the foundation or its website.
As of the morning of August 22, the website seems to be inactive, redirecting users to a domain hosting site instead.
The Charity Commission has also verified that the foundation has not filed a registration application. The website displayed logos for Unicef, Allianz, and the Portuguese Platform of Development NGOs, along with Liverpool, but at least three out of these four organisations have confirmed they are not associated with the foundation.
Liverpool had already revealed last month that the LFC Foundation has "committed to creating a grass-roots football programme in Diogo's name".
The club further stated: "If supporters would like to honour Diogo by having 'Diogo J. 20' printed on the back of their shirt in official club stores or via our official online store, all profits will go to LFC Foundation."
A statement from Allianz UK confirmed: "We can confirm that we do not have a partnership, and our logo should not have been used on this website. We monitor illegal use of our brand and we are taking steps to get the website shut down by the suitable authorities. Misuse of branding is an ongoing issue in the digital world, and fraudsters will often try to add recognised brands to their fake websites to try and deceive the public."
The site redirects visitors to make donations via an external platform which seemingly only accepts digital currency, claiming it "accepts USDT, ETH and other crypto through NOWPayments securely".
Yet NOWPayments CEO Kate Lifshits confirms they have not handled any transactions for the foundation.
"We are aware that the NOWPayments payment system may have been used for fraudulent fundraising activities on behalf of a foundation that is not affiliated with the Diogo Jota family," Lifshits said.
"I can confirm that no payments for this foundation have been processed through NOWPayments. As soon as we became aware of the alleged fraud, we stopped providing our services to the project immediately. Our widget is not active on the foundation's website. We often encounter such practices and respond immediately, regardless of whether they involve public figures."
Moreover, the Fundraising Regulator has cautioned: "In the wake of tragedies and natural disasters, there are always some who seek to capitalise on the British public's generosity and sympathy.
"While most charity appeals are genuine, the regulator always advises the public to exercise caution when considering making a donation to ensure that their money goes to where it is needed, and where they wish it to go.
"In general, the Fundraising Regulator would not advise donating to a foundation which is not a registered charity, as there is a high risk of fraud. People should additionally look for tell-tale signs that an online appeal may be fraudulent, such as vague or inconsistent information on the website, grammar or spelling errors, or a lack of information about the organisation from any other source."
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