Fake Niagara County Veteran Scams Community Out of Over $12,000

The story of Peter, a purported 68-year-old homeless veteran who took part in operation Desert Storm, was one that Niagara Action and several other local outlets was happy to share.

It was a heartwarming story how Christopher Robert met Peter and did so much to help him and his family. From bringing him food and clothing to giving him rides to get medication, Chris went above and beyond what any stranger would do. Chris rallied a community to Peter's aid at a tremendous rate, raising more than $12,000 in just a few days.

That makes what we are about to share with you all the more heartbreaking, and quite disturbing.

It was a lie. It was all a lie.

Peter is not a veteran. He never took part in operation Desert Storm.

Heck, Peter isn't even 68-years-old.

Niagara Action has been told that Chris is just as much a scammer as Peter, though this has not been confirmed.

"I know him personally," said one person in a Facebook message to Niagara Action, "and don't talk to him anymore. He was scamming people in the sports card industry and l've seen it first hand and have talked to people that he has scammed."

The messages about Peter flooded in as well.

"Hi, I would like to inform you that the 'homeless veteran' you posted about, Peter, he's a fraud," said one woman in a message to Niagara Action. "He's no veteran. He's not even 68. He's 57."

As news of the story spread, several people stepped forward to correct the narrative. All of the larger organizations - including Niagara Action - who shared the story on social media have removed it.

This is what one person who messaged the Niagara Action said: "FYl the whole Chris Robert and Peter go fund me is a scam. Sweet buffalo has taken the post off the page and go fund me will be sending refunds, Chris is a known scam artist in the sports card community and Peter is not a veteran. In fact numerous people have commented stating he walks around with wads of cash. I've seen it with my own eyes."

Peter will not be getting any money.

If you want to waive hi to Peter, he will still be on his bench for 6-10 hours most days of the week on the corner of Military Road and Niagara Falls Boulevard.

However, we think most of those waives might be the one finger salute from now on.

ORIGINAL STORY

A Town of Niagara family is receiving help from a stranger after their financial situation left them living in a motel while a 68-year-old Desert Storm veteran spends long days asking for help on a busy corner--often with little luck.

Christopher Robert - just a regular guy from the community - says he met Peter, a homeless veteran, after repeatedly seeing him sitting on a bus bench at the corner of Military Road and Niagara Falls Boulevard for hours at a time. According to Robert, Peter spends between six and ten hours a day at the location in all weather conditions while trying to support his family.

Robert said he initially gave Peter small amounts of cash when passing by, but eventually decided to stop and speak with him. He invited Peter into a nearby Tim Hortons for coffee and learned more about the family’s situation. What he learned was heartbreaking.

Peter lives in a motel room with his wife, who is disabled and battling cancer, and their 18-year-old son. The family has been relying on his wife’s disability payments to cover housing costs, but the benefits are currently under review and, according to Robert, haven’t been issued for several months.

After meeting his wife and son, Robert created GoFundMe to help them cover living expenses and medical expenses. He describes the family as humble and struggling to stay afloat without assistance. Since their first conversation, Robert says he has brought Peter food, clothing, hand and foot warmers, and transportation to pick up prescriptions.

“After hearing his story and meeting his family, they are just the most wonderful, humble people,” said Robert. “They don’t do drugs or drink. So I took it upon myself to create a GoFundMe for Pete‘s family. And it would mean the world if you can even just share this if you can’t afford to donate. This is a family from the Town of Niagara. Let’s help them out guys!”

The GoFundMe campaign asks for donations to prevent them from losing their temporary living situation, which is already not ideal.

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Fake Niagara County Veteran Scams Community Out of Over $12,000