Pranksters fake US$10 theft from struggling Minnesota dad – viewers raise over US$250,000 for him

It was a simple prank, but the two trolls behind it picked the wrong mark: a Michigan father of four with bills to pay, shelves to stock and a whole universe of frustrations to unload.So, in a two-minute video that has been watched more than 2.2 million times on social media platform X, he let the pranksters have it.He berated them and angrily told them why they should not be making fun of someone like him who was nearly at the end of his rope, just so they could entertain their Instagram followers.Viewers responded to that raw emotion with more than just sympathy. They chipped in, raising more than US$250,000 (S$319,000) as at Oct 29 for the man, publicly identified only as Walt Z.The encounter began when two men approached Walt, who was wearing a Red Baron pizza shirt, as he stocked a grocery store freezer, and asked for the time.When Walt took out his phone to check the time, one of the men held another phone near it and set off a fake Apply Pay sound and a simulated money transfer.“I just took US$10,” the prankster told Walt, laughing and trying to provoke a reaction. “I just took your money.”Walt’s response was immediate.“My life is hard enough as it is, okay? I don’t need this crap,” he told the two men.“Bro, bro, it’s just a joke! It’s just a prank,” the man recording the video replied, trying to pacify Walt.But Walt had more to say.“I got kids at home that went to bed without me right now! I was supposed to be off an hour ago! I gotta wake up at five in the morning and do 10 more stores!” he told them.One of the men then said: “I’m sorry, bro, chill. We’re just filming a video, it was just a joke.”“No, you don’t!” Walt replied. “You’re probably making money off of this! I can’t even pay my goddamn mortgage, and I got four kids at home! So not funny!”The pair uploaded the video onto their Instagram channel before taking it down and deactivating their account following huge online backlash.“Real people have real emotions, and they shouldn’t have to become content just so someone can get views,” wrote one X user.“In America, hard work is punished, while laziness and goofiness are rewarded,” added another.After coming across the video, Luke Oakenshield, who identified himself as a homeless veteran, organised a fund-raiser on GoFundMe for Walt.“This fund-raiser is about standing up for a working person who is busting their butt and should not have to fear losing stability because someone wanted content and clicks,” Oakenshield wroteBy Oct 29, the campaign had raised more than US$280,000.In an update, Oakenshield said Walt had been found and made aware of the fund-raiser.“Walt Z out of Michigan sends a heartfelt thank you, and is absolutely blown away by how much people have cared over this,” he wrote.“They are requesting privacy, and GoFundMe is taking the lead in transferring all of this to him. You’re all Rockstars, and it shows,” he added.A spokesman for Red Baron’s parent company told The New York Post that it was aware of the video and had spoken to the employee involved.Red Baron is a Minnesota-based frozen-food manufacturer and distributor.“We are aware of the video circulating on social media involving one of our direct store delivery employees during an incident that occurred in August,” said the spokesman.“Following the incident, we connected directly with our team member to check on his well-being, and we continue to offer our support. We are pleased to share that he is doing well and remains a valued member of our team,” he added.