UPDATE 7/19/21 (4:15 PM): Ms. Vessa Gulvin has confirmed that the information she shared online was untrue. Her complete explanation and apology can be found here.
Philanthropy…or fake news?
A former Santa Monica resident is under fire for posting unconfirmed reports of a gruesome double homicide on social media — and asking sympathetic neighbors for cash.
Elizabeth Vessa Gulvin — who grew up in the city’s north side in the 1970s — has been a fixture on Facebook for months, soliciting donations to help with household expenses and various heath-related issues.
But it was her post Friday on the neighborhood app NextDoor that raised red flags for many members of the online community.
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Gulvin reported that a woman named Rebecca, who she sponsored in a 12 Step recovery program, had been fatally shot by her abusive husband in Mar Vista after serving him with divorce papers.
“She was 8 months pregnant with baby Heather who also died in her mother’s womb,” Gulvin wrote. She added that Rebecca’s mother was also gunned down but was “hanging on to life.”
Neither Los Angeles Police Department or Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner have any information that such a crime was committed.
The post was deleted within a few hours and Gulvin’s account on NextDoor — which had recently been reinstated following a brief suspension from posting — was permanently removed.
“I am surprised NextDoor let her stay for so long,” said Kim Denton, who resides in the same apartment complex as Gulvin in the Southwest Sawtelle district.
Denton posted a warning on the app Saturday night alerting other members of what she believed to be suspicious activity by Gulvin.
Within the first 24 hours dozens of other neighbors said they, too, felt something was not quite right.
David S.: “Elizabeth got my attention right away, and while I don’t doubt some, or even all she claimed might be true, her posts red-lined my BS meter. TMI, feigned humility, yet bold in putting the pressure on asking for cash, broke, but just bought a car, etc. I’ve known more than few folks with a similar schtick.”
Lisa Silvera: “I tried to help her and when I questioned a few small things she became very aggressive.”
Leah Melika: “I have always felt uncomfortable with her posts. And those of you who were generous and helped her, don’t feel badly. Just know she prays (sic) on people with good hearts.”
Gulvin is the administrator of a 691 member Facebook group called Gods Helping Hands To Help People In Need.
She has openly admitted to deleting other people’s fundraisers from the forum (if she deems them suspicious) but continues to solicit cash for items like cat litter, car payments and medical bills almost every week.
“Everything she has done and said has been a lie,” Denton told The Sun. “Every day she is posting that she is going to the ER and asking for cash.
“I am a chef and I offered to make food for her and she said, ‘I don’t need food but maybe we can make a deal where I can give you my EBT card for cash.”
Santa Monica accountant Sheldon Greenbaum had been noticing Gulvin’s posts for some time before he responded to her request for assistance paying a cell phone bill.
“It sounded pretty dire,” he told The Sun. “I read it and thought about it and I said if you send me your information, I can help you out.”
He was prompted to log into to her phone carrier’s website as a guest and make the payment online.
“It seems like she was after cash mostly,” he said. “I have seen her turn down food and other things. She seemed to just be asking for cash.
“Maybe she’s got some issues, but I would like to feel in some small way like it helped her.”
The Sun reached out to Gulvin and offered an opportunity to provide more information.
She quickly replied: “No comment. Do not contact me again.”
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