Red Baron worker stops $787,000 fundraiser, urges donors to help others

A Michigan grocery-store worker who became an internet sensation after confronting Instagram pranksters has asked supporters to stop donating to his GoFundMe campaign after it raised more than $787,000. Walter Zerod, a father of four who works as a direct-store-delivery employee for Red Baron frozen pizzas, attracted widespread sympathy after a video showed him being targeted by pranksters pretending to take $10 from him through Apple Pay. The encounter prompted military veteran Luke Oakenshield, who had never met Zerod, to launch an online fundraiser to support him and his family. Thousands of people contributed, but Zerod has now decided to step away from the attention, citing concerns about his family's safety and privacy.Instagram prank on Red Baron worker sparks online supportThe incident reportedly took place in August 2026 at a grocery store where Zerod was stocking frozen pizzas. Two Instagram pranksters approached him and played a sound mimicking an Apple Pay transaction, claiming they had taken $10 from him. No actual money was transferred.The pranksters continued provoking Zerod as he tried to get on with his work. Frustrated by the interaction, he explained that he was ...