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Correspondent. Who benefits from online prize pools?
Correspondent. Who benefits from online prize pools? – (SPECIAL SUBJECT / FRANCE 2)
On platforms like Leetchi, Papayoux, OnParticipe, CotizUp… in recent years, online solidarity prize pools have multiplied, sometimes collecting more than a million euros. Who launches these calls for donations? A “Special Envoy” investigation.
Initially, they were intended for family or friendly occasions, but in recent years, online prize pools have multiplied, and Leetchi, Papayoux, OnParticipe or CotizUp have developed a new activity: “solidarity prize pools”. To rebuild Notre-Dame, help orphans in Ukraine, support caregivers during Covid-19, send donations after an earthquake, the amounts raised often exceed a million euros. But who launches these calls for donations? Who controls what happens to the money?
Can we trust the platforms that host these prize pools?
In 2022, the number 1 platform in France, Leetchi, has alone collected more than… 250 million euros, a colossal sum. Fueled by social networks and the news, certain platforms are not very careful about who collects, how much, and for what use, and certain unscrupulous influencers surf on the charity of the French to enrich themselves completely illegally. So, who really benefits from online prize pools? Can we trust the platforms?
A report by David Corre and Maureen Alibert / Flair Presse, published in “Correspondent” on December 14, 2023.
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