Eileen has been a Watchung Elementary crossing guard for the last 9 years. More than just keeping our kids safe, Eileen is an important part of our Watchung family, who you will often find 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 N. 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 experience 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 were the one thing in our lives becoming more “democratic” and 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 GFM processing fees). Eileen is the named beneficiary on this 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 - the dad of a Watchung 4th grader