helpeileen.com

For nine years, Eileen has stopped traffic for our kids. This fall, let's stop for her.

An online scam took $7,750 from Watchung Elementary's crossing guard this summer. Her Watchung families and Montclair neighbors are giving it back, $10 and $20 at a time.

Donate on GoFundMe

Eileen is the named beneficiary on GoFundMe, so every donation goes directly to her bank account. This site does not collect money.

Eileen, in a yellow safety vest and cap, holding a red STOP sign at the crosswalk
Eileen at the Garden Street and North Fullerton Avenue crossing, Montclair, NJ
9 yearsat the Watchung crossing
$7,750taken by the scam
$8,000goal, including GoFundMe fees
100%of donations go straight to Eileen

Her story, from a Watchung parent

Eileen has been a Watchung Elementary crossing guard for the last nine years. More than just keeping our kids safe, Eileen is an important part of our Watchung family. You will often find her in the audience cheering on talent show contestants or attending our kids' concerts.

Eileen is always quick with a smile and is a bright spot in the morning for everyone crossing at Garden and North Fullerton. So when I noticed that she wasn't her usual self as this school year started, I finally had to ask if something was wrong.

She related her horrible summer spent trying to untangle the mess caused by an online scam that robbed her of almost $8,000 and forced her into weeks of police reports and form filling as she works to recover her identity.

It took some arm twisting to get Eileen to give us permission to do this fundraiser. Apart from not wanting to be a burden on others, there is of course the shame that comes from falling victim to a scam. I told her that sadly, AI cons are the one thing in our lives becoming more "democratic." They no longer just target the people we assume are vulnerable.

With Eileen's blessing, we are hoping that you can contribute to this important cause. If the parents of every child that Eileen helps keep safe could contribute just $10 or $20 and help us spread the word, we should have no trouble reaching our goal of $8,000 ($7,750 loss plus estimated GoFundMe processing fees). Eileen is the named beneficiary on the GoFundMe page, so every donation goes directly to her bank account.

Even if we can't restore all the funds that Eileen lost, maybe we can restore her faith that there are more people looking out for one another than there are looking for victims.

We all chose Montclair because it's different. It's not just a town with a reasonable commute; it's a real community. Maybe we can't change the world, but we can show that our community is not indifferent to the AI abuse of someone we love.

Thank you, and please share.

Chris H.Dad of a Watchung 4th grader

Three ways to help

Giving happens on GoFundMe. Sharing is free and, by GoFundMe's own estimate, each share brings in about $50 on average. And a hello at the crossing costs nothing at all.

Give on GoFundMe

QR code that opens the GoFundMe page for Eileen

Tap the button or scan the code with your phone's camera. Both open the official GoFundMe page, where Eileen is the named beneficiary.

Donate on GoFundMe

Need the QR code for a flyer or a classroom email? Download the QR image.

The math is simple. Watchung has roughly 390 students. $20 for each of them comes to about $7,800, nearly the whole goal. A handful of $50 gifts closes the gap.

Play "Avoid the Scams"

A small arcade game for the kids Eileen crosses every morning, and for anyone who grew up feeding quarters to the original. Guide Eileen across a road full of AI scams and get five kids to the doors of Watchung Elementary. Every scam that catches her shouts a real con you should recognize.

Arrow keys on a laptop, swipe or tap on a phone. Original 8-bit soundtrack. Free, no sign-up, nothing collected.

Play the game

The corner, the school, and the town

Watchung Elementary sits on Garden Street, a few blocks from Watchung Plaza in Montclair. Every school day, close to four hundred kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students walk, scooter, and bike through the surrounding streets. The crossing at Garden and North Fullerton is one of the busiest, and it has been Eileen's post for nine years.

Montclair is a township of about 41,000 people in Essex County, twelve miles west of Manhattan. It is known for its public magnet school system, its arts scene, and for being, in the words of The New York Times, one of the "least suburban of suburbs." The people who live here chose it for the community as much as the commute. This fundraiser is a chance to prove that is more than a real-estate slogan.

  • Watchung Elementary School14 Garden Street, Montclair, NJ 07042. Kindergarten through fifth grade, roughly 390 students, one of seven elementary schools in Montclair Public Schools' magnet system.
  • Eileen's crossingGarden Street at North Fullerton Avenue, beside the school. Mornings before the bell and afternoons at dismissal.
  • Montclair, NJPopulation 40,921 (2020 census). Incorporated 1868. Seven NJ Transit stations on the Montclair-Boonton Line.
  • Who's behind thisOrganized by Watchung Elementary parents with Eileen's permission.

Watchung Elementary School, 14 Garden Street. Eileen's crossing is at the Garden Street and North Fullerton Avenue corner beside it. Open a larger map.

The scam could have landed on any of us

Eileen's loss started with a message that looked legitimate. AI-written emails, cloned voices, and fake "fraud department" calls have made these cons polished enough to fool careful people. If one good thing comes out of this, let it be a conversation with the people you love about what to do when a message feels urgent.

Urgency is the tell

Real banks, government agencies, and tech companies do not demand that you act in the next ten minutes, stay on the phone, or keep the matter secret. Hang up, wait, and call back using the number on your card or statement.

Gift cards, wire transfers, and crypto are never a fix

No legitimate organization asks you to "protect" your money by moving it, buying gift cards, or reading codes over the phone. The moment payment comes up that way, it is a scam.

If it happens, report it fast and without shame

Contact your bank first, then file at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IdentityTheft.gov, and make a report with your local police. Speed matters more than embarrassment.

Questions people ask

Where does the money go?

Directly to Eileen. She is the named beneficiary on the GoFundMe campaign, which means GoFundMe transfers donations to her bank account, not to the organizer. The $8,000 goal is her $7,750 loss plus an estimate of GoFundMe's processing fees.

Is this legitimate?

Yes. The campaign was created by Watchung parents, with Eileen's permission. GoFundMe also backs every donation with its Giving Guarantee. If you want to confirm before giving, ask a Watchung parent or say hello to Eileen at the crossing.

Does helpeileen.com take donations?

No. This site exists to tell the story and point people to the official GoFundMe page. Nothing is collected here.

What if the campaign goes over $8,000?

Anything beyond the goal still goes to Eileen. Recovering from identity theft has its own costs, and she spent a summer dealing with it.

I don't have a GoFundMe account. Can I still give?

Yes. GoFundMe lets you donate as a guest with a card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal without creating an account. You can also choose to give anonymously.

How else can I help?

Share this page with your class group chat and anyone you know in Montclair, print the QR code for a flyer, and tell Eileen you're glad she's there.

Show Eileen there are more people looking out for one another than looking for victims.

$10 or $20 from every Watchung family gets this done.

Donate on GoFundMe
QR code for the GoFundMe page