Michigan delivery worker receives over $330,000 after cruel payment prank
A Red Baron delivery employee in Michigan was filmed being targeted by a prankster who pretended to take $10 from him using an Apple Pay sound. The video spread widely online, prompting public sympathy for the worker and criticism of the person filming.
The employee, identified as Walt Z, said he was working late, had four children at home and needed to visit more stores early the next morning. After a fundraiser was started by a supporter who did not know him, Walt was found and asked for privacy; by Thursday evening, more than 8,500 people had donated over $330,000. Red Baron’s parent company said it had checked on his wellbeing after the August incident and continued to offer support.
In short
- A grocery-store prank video drew widespread criticism.
- The worker said he was late getting home to his four children.
- More than 8,500 donors raised over $330,000 for him.
Explained simply
Red Baron is a brand of frozen pizza, and its delivery workers take orders to customers. Apple Pay is a contactless payment service that can play a sound when a payment is made, though a sound alone does not confirm that money has changed hands.
Walt Z was working late in Michigan when someone filmed a prank that made it appear he had lost $10. The video drew attention to his circumstances as a parent of four and to the way delivery workers can be affected by people filming them while they work.
A supporter who did not know Walt started an online fundraiser, and donations came from thousands of people. The response shows how widely shared videos can lead strangers to offer financial help, while also bringing unwanted attention to the person featured.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Moment hardworking Red Baron employee shames troll who pulled cruel prank while he stocked shelves… as he gets last laugh with $300,000 fundraiser”.