GoFundMe Fraud! War erupts as family of Florida student, 22, missing after being swept to sea on vacation accuse her friends of FRAUD after they set up a page to raise $25,000 without their permission

Photo: GoFundMe

Swept away: Savannah Rae Finn, 22, was swept away by strong waves on the coast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands Friday. She is believed to be dead, although her body has not yet been recovered

Her family have slammed friends for trying to raise money they didn't need, after friends set up a page to raise $25,000 without their permission ...

urged people to stop donating to the fund

Others in her group said something 'fishy' was going on with the group

Read the GoFundMe controversy after the cut ...

A feud has erupted on GoFundMe after friends of a 22 -year-old woman feared dead after being swept to sea set up a fundraising page without her family's permission.

Savannah Rae Finn, 22, a student at Florida International University, was on rocks by Peterborg Point on the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Thomas with her boyfriend when strong waves washed them into the water at around 6pm.

Her boyfriend was able to climb back onto the rocks and was rescued, but Finn, who was seen 'face down' and apparently 'lifeless' in the water by Chief Liston Thomas of St. Thomas Rescue, disappeared into the waves.

Her relatives have flown to the island to help the search for Finn. But since arriving they have accused her friends of fraud after they started a bid to raise $25,000 to 'get her home'.

The page reads: 'We desperately need to get her home, which is a very costly endeaver. The money raised on this page will go towards bringing Savannah home to her family and friends. Please please help us.'

However Savannah's stepmother Jackie Porter urged people to stop donating money and told those who had to demand a refund as they already had the costs covered.

Photo: VITravelConsultants

Waves: The waves at Peterborg Point (pictured), where Finn was washed into the water, can be strong and highly dangerous

Friends set up a GoFundMe page for Savannah, with the aim of raising $25,000 to bring her home

She wrote: 'This is Savannah's stepmother of 10 year's and Father. The entire immediate family including Savannah's mother and two brothers are in St Thomas and do not need money to get family hotel. Airfare NOR get her home if the body is found. STOP donating money. Demand a refund if yiu do not get refunded within 24 hours report JENNA to Ft Lauderdale fraud department.' 

In another post she said Finn's family 'only needs your prayers' and urged people to donate to the unit on St. Thomas taking part in the rescue.

Jenna Baggio, who set up the group, revealed that she would take the page down following the 'family requests'.

But as of Monday at 11:30, the page was still taking donations. At the time of writing it had made $5,990 of its $25,000 goal.

Other people were also skeptical when the page was set up and questioned the motives of the group's organizers.

Pete Kasinpila wrote: 'I'm no detective but... There's a ridiculously big gap after the whole "unable to fight the strength of the ocean" part. If she's missing, then there's no way to bring her home, simple as that. Plus, it doesn't require $25,000 dollars to bring anyone back. Just her and her boyfriend flying first class would be $4000 and even less flying coach. 

However Savannah's stepmother Jackie Porter urged people to stop donating money and told those who had to demand a refund as they already had the costs covered

In another post she said Finn's family 'only needs your prayers' and urged people to donate to the unit on St. Thomas taking part in the rescue

Other people commenting on the page were also skeptical when the page was set up and questioned the motives of the group's organizers

Kassie Dabs said if the family doesn't want the donations then the page shouldn't be up at all 

Kevin Hurley insisted the actions of her friends was 'illegal' but Patricia Smith insisted they were just trying to help bring her home

Johnny Barre said a 'war' had erupted between the family and the friends who had set up the page 

'Btw, "We desperately need to get her home," and "This page will go towards bringing Savannah home to her family and friends." ... Are you serious? Whose "We"? The Audience would assume that the person who made this page is a part of her family and friends. 

'Yet, this totally sounds like something written in third person, from a source outside of Savannah's connections. Things need a cause and effect-that's just how the universe works. There's no evidence-no cause to this effect of a girl in which people are donating to. 

'Oh and if my argument isn't convincing, photos can be downloaded off facebook and or screenshotted. If this page was made by someone close to Savannah, i'm sure that it would be a photo in which these social media sites do currently have. 

'Sincerely, Someone who thinks too much, yet knows when something fishy is going on.'

Some insisted her friends only wanted to help and did not suggest her family could not afford it.

Patricia Smith wrote: 'This was a plea from Savannah's Freind to help bring her home, Not that Her parents couldn't afford to..jst a Way for Freinds to help .. She Had Many Frinds that jst want to help.. I Woukd Think Mrs Porter could be more Thankful.. Il jst leave it there.. Those who know Savannah know she would be very grateful by the show of support from her Freinds.. RIP Sweet Girl.'

Jenna Baggio, who set up the group, revealed that she would take the page down following the 'family requests'

Finn had visited the island with her boyfriend and two others.

Her parents, Ray and Julie Finn, two siblings and two uncles had gone to the island hoping to recover her body, Michael Hull, a family friend, told the Sun-Sentinel.

'The family is obviously devastated, destroyed by this. There are no words in this type of situation so we just let the family know that we are there for them,' he said.

'It's weighing so heavily on [Finn's mother] that they haven't found the body... the family just needed to be there.'

Finn worked as a server for three years at Aruba Beach Cafe in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the Sun-Sentinel said. 

Its manager, Frank Scarpace, told the publication, 'She was a great employee, and we will miss her. We are all very sad.'

Finn, was an 'ambitious and focused' woman who wanted to become an attorney, Hull said. She was considering taking a year off and going to Hawaii before entering law school, he added. 

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