Prankster Faked Stealing $10: Michigan Father of Four Goes Viral as Strangers Raise Over $760,000
A father working a late shift stocking shelves became an internet sensation after a prankster filmed himself pretending to steal money from him, and strangers have since raised more than $760,000 for him. The worker, identified in public reports only as Walt Z., is a Red Baron frozen-pizza delivery and stocking worker at a Meijer store in White Lake, in Oakland County, Michigan, and a father of four.
According to reporting by The Detroit News, NBC Chicago and other outlets, the encounter took place in August, and the video only went viral on social media in late October. In the clip, the person filming walks up to Walt as he stocks a freezer case and asks him the time. When Walt pulls out his phone, the prankster holds up his own device, plays a sound mimicking an Apple Pay transaction, and claims he has just taken $10 from him, later upping the claim to $20. No money actually changed hands.
In the video, Walt says none of it is funny to him: his kids had gone to bed without him, he was supposed to be home an hour earlier, and he had to be up at 5 a.m. to stock ten more stores. "You're probably making money off this! I can't even pay my goddamn mortgage! And I got four kids at home!" he says. He also worries aloud that the confrontation could get him kicked out of the store. The Instagram account that posted the video has since been deleted amid the backlash, and the clip now circulates through reposts on X and Reddit.
Schwan's Company, Red Baron's parent, told the New York Post it had connected directly with the team member to check on his well-being and continues to offer its full support. Red Baron's official account posted on X on October 29: "He's still here. He's got a fan club. Including us," alongside a graphic announcing that employee-of-the-month nominations were closed.
The fundraiser was started by a stranger. Luke Oakenshield of Arizona, who had never met Walt, launched the GoFundMe campaign titled "Support a Harassed Red Baron Worker" on October 27. It raised about $5,500 by the next day, crossed $100,000 a day after that, and passed $500,000 by October 30. The latest reported total shown for the campaign is $761,514, including a top donation of $38,000 from Vivek Ramaswamy and his wife Apoorva. Oakenshield, who describes himself as a military veteran living out of his car, says GoFundMe is overseeing the campaign so the money goes directly to Walt; the displayed total reflects pledges, with actual transfer subject to the platform's processing.
In an update on the campaign page, Walt thanked donors, saying the kindness shown to him and his family "meant more than I can put into words." He added that he is keeping things private to protect his family and is considering whether to share his story publicly.
Source: GoFundMe
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 密歇根州Meijer超市门店资料图（42-BRT摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons）
