Family of Marisa Harris warns of fake donation accounts created by scammers

The family of a 22-year-old woman killed in a tragic accident after a 12-year-old boy jumped from a Fairfax County overpass in a suicide attempt is trying to spread the word out about scammers setting up fake crowdfunding pages under her name.

As Marisa Harris' family is dealing with their awful tragedy, they had to take the time to send out an email to warn people that someone is using GoFundMe and other fundraising accounts trying to profit off of their loss.

The email sent to FOX 5 and other media outlets said:

This morning we discovered and have reported several fraudulent Go Fund Me and other accounts using our tragedy to extort money for "funeral arrangements", etc.

Please help us, by telling your audience that the family may be unable to keep up with such sad and disrespectful behavior. DO not be deceived by donating to a fraudulent account.

As we continue to grieve the loss of our daughter and have seen the outpouring of love, support and attention in the media, the family would like you to know that we are considering ways to honor Marisa's memory and commitment to helping children in crisis, however we have not set up any fundraising effort, such as Go Fund Me or any other online donation site.

In the future and as we continue to mourn, the family is discussing and will communicate additional information regarding services and just how we will choose to remember and honor the memory of Marisa Harris.

Thank you for your continued prayers and respect for our privacy at this time.

Police said the boy jumped from the Cedar Lane overpass in Vienna and onto Harris' 2005 Ford Escape as she was driving eastbound on Interstate 66 on Saturday. Harris was killed upon impact while her boyfriend, who was in the passenger seat, was able to take control of the wheel and steer it off the roadway.

Meanwhile, Virginia State Police say there are no updates to the investigation or information about the 12-year-old who jumped from the bridge. The last update from authorities on the boy's condition was that he was being treated for life-threatening injuries.

Harris was a graduate student at Marymount University studying clinical mental health counseling.

Following the incident, Fairfax County Public Schools sent out a letter to all high school and middle school principals to share with parents. One section said in part:

Your child may not appear to need support at school but may be experiencing difficulty sleeping, seem lethargic, or show other changes in behavior. Please call the school counselor, psychologist or social worker if you are concerned about how your child is responding.