Doug Ruch died in New Zealand in December after article called him a “conman”. His cause of death remains unknown. Photo: Doug Ruch
A US man, who claimed to have terminal cancer and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for travel and community projects, died in New Zealand – a day after a Kiwi journalist published allegations he was a “serial conman”.
Douglas Lee “Doug” Ruch, 56, died in Auckland on December 18, the Guardian reported. His cause of death had not been determined, the Guardian reported.
A day earlier, on December 17, David Farrier published an article on his website webworm.co titled Beware of Doug.
Ruch had drawn international media coverage earlier in 2024 after launching a GoFundMe campaign to fund travel across the US to volunteer with community organisations. He said he had terminal prostate cancer and wanted to spend his remaining time in service to others.
The campaign, known as Dying to Serve, reportedly raised about US$230,000 before Ruch deactivated it amid questions about his claims. A separate GoFundMe to fund travel to Australia, also framed as a volunteer effort, raised more than US$10,000 before it was shut down, the Guardian reported.
Farrier’s article documented a series of earlier, unrelated GoFundMe campaigns launched by Ruch, including one purportedly to help him adopt a dog and others that, Farrier wrote, “saw him using [the platform] as a kind of dating service, where his victims would pay” for meals and petrol.
Farrier wrote he had “spoken to several people [who] have known Doug personally over the last decade. They are aware of Doug’s fundraising efforts, and all paint a portrait of an alleged serial conman who has been ‘running various scams for years.’ He allegedly owes money to former partners, along with child support payments.”
Farrier acknowledged Ruch’s death this week, writing: “I thought it was important that people knew his history, given he was asking for money. I still think that.
“That doesn’t change the fact that this is objectively horrible news. It’s horrible when anyone dies. Doug obviously had a troubled history. While estranged, he had a family.”
The Guardian had also been following Ruch’s story before his death, and was told by GoFundMe that his fundraisers remained within the platform’s terms of service. The company did not respond to follow-up questions after his death, the Guardian said.
Records show Ruch was cremated on January 15 and his ashes were scattered in a public Auckland cemetery, the Guardian reported.
The US state department confirmed that a US citizen died in Auckland but declined further comment, citing “respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time”, the Guardian reported.