Beware of Doug
A GoFundMe conman tricked the USA. Now he's coming for NZ.
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Update, Thursday December 18
Since Webworm published this story, Doug Ruch has fallen silent on social media – either deleting his accounts or making them private. He has made one post – a comment – seemingly seeking to explain his absence:
Webworm has heard from other people who have known Doug personally, and all confirm the points made in this piece.
Webworm has enquiries in with GoFundMe, asking about the status of the $230,000 US raised on his latest "DyingToServe" campaign. Webworm has also asked about his other GoFundMe efforts, that saw him using GoFundMe as a kind of dating service, where his victims would pay for his meal and his gas.
Webworm notes that Doug appears to have been an invited guest to a GoFundMe event held in Sydney, Australia in mid-October. Here he is with GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan at the event.
Cadogan has been named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influence People In The World 2025."
Hi,
Since April of this year, Doug Ruch has been appearing in nearly every US media outlet known to man.
Doug's story is news-catnip – both tragic and inspiring. According to Washington Post reporter Kyle Melnick, Doug found out in January that his prostate cancer had become terminal.
"Doug Ruch returned to his San Antonio apartment and reflected on one of his biggest regrets: being too focused on himself, not giving enough to others. He had spent most of his savings on his cancer treatment, so he decided he would launch a fundraiser and hope others would help him achieve his dying wish: volunteering in every state."
The story was accompanied by a grinning Doug stirring a large number of beans. Apparently, his mission to "volunteer" in various capacities in every state had begun.
From there, the story spread. Public radio giant NPR covered Doug in May, recounting the same sad – but inspirational – story:
"When his doctor told him he had just 12 to 18 months to live after his cancer metastasized, Doug Ruch decided to devote his remaining time to doing community service in all 50 states."
The news was syndicated across various newspapers, radio shows and local news affiliates throughout April and May. By the time ABC in Minnesota got on board, Doug had reportedly volunteered in 17 states.
"On Tuesday, Doug Ruch from San Antonio, Texas, brought his Dying to Serve Tour to Minnesota. Ruch volunteered at the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Restore in New Brighton. Ruch launched the tour in March, after being given 12 to 18 months to live with prostate cancer.
“I found out in January,” Rauch said. “I went home. I mourned for a few days. Thought about my life in its totality, what I wished I had done more of. One of those things was volunteering. I spent way too many years chasing the almighty dollar and the brass ring. If I can leave a legacy of people that started volunteering because they heard my story, then I can die happy.”
Minnesota is the 17th state Ruch has visited on his volunteer tour."
From the US, the story went international – Doug hitting The Guardian in the UK.
The Guardian used a photo of Doug (supplied by Doug) and parrots a combination of Doug's website, and what had already been reported in the US media:
"As it says on his tour’s website and has been reported elsewhere in the news media, doctors diagnosed Ruch with prostate cancer in early 2021. The former solar industry professional spent his life savings paying to undergo treatment for the illness, something he said he could not avoid because of the US’s “broken” healthcare system."
In all the TV stories, radio interviews and print pieces, Doug's grinning chops were there to remind Americans – and all of us – that as dogshit as their year had been, there was still hope.
And there's something to note in all of these reports: Every one of them linked to Doug's pun-worthy website, DyingToServe.com, which linked directly to his GoFundMe account.
Launched back in February, by July 10 Doug had raised over $130,000 US dollars.
By November, that amount had risen to over $200,000.
A History of Doug
What all the US news reports missed is that before that GoFundMe, there were many more. They all start with a supposed cancer diagnosis in 2021 (the "terminal" comes later), but the specific months and dates are constantly shifting – and Doug never provides any kind of supporting documentation.
