The widower of a nurse who died shortly after helping patients on Whakaari/White Island is angry after his wife's name was used for a fake online fundraiser.
Whakatāne Hospital intensive care nurse Sheila Cheng, 50, was killed in a car crash in the Bay of Plenty five days after the White Island eruption.
The car accident left Cheng's husband Rhys Bugden critically injured and fighting for life at Waikato Hospital where he needed multiple surgeries.
Cheng had just returned from White Island after several days of treating some of the most seriously injured.
The White Island disaster on December 9th claimed 21 lives and injured more than 25 others.
Online scammers announced they wanted to help pay for Mr Bugden's treatment by claiming to be his "neighbour" Lauren Urey, a young woman injured on White Island.
The widower told NZME the fundraiser was "pretty low and disrespectful".
"They don't think about what sort of damage they can do, they just don't care," Bugden told NZME.
"If they can make some money out of something, it doesn't matter who they hurt along the way."
Bugden said he had no such neighbour named Lauren Urey.
"I know a lot of the people who suffered burns on White Island have been through quite a lot. So to take advantage of them is quite low," he told NZME.
The fake fundraiser was removed after police and GoFundMe were notified.
