Six months ago, Christin Young’s business bank account for her five-year-old bookstore, Monarch Books & Gifts in Overland Park, Kans., was drained by hackers. She has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her weather the crisis, setting a target of $38,000. To date, the campaign has raised $15,704.
“The store’s cash flow was completely wiped out,” Young wrote on the GoFundMe page,” I began the bank's long and tedious process of submitting disputes to recoup those funds, but I’ve only been able to recoup a very small amount of what was stolen. Because of this, I have not been able to pay invoices to vendors, publishers and other creditors in full in order to bring my accounts current.” The situation was made worse by an economic downturn, inflation, and a slow summer in sales that resulted in Young falling further behind in paying the store’s bills. The store’s inability to pay September’s rent was the impetus to set up the fundraiser.
The funds “won’t replace what was lost,” Young wrote, “but it will help to overcome the shortfall from fraud and slow summer sales, bring accounts current, pay rent, and get back to serving our community.”
Young opened Green Door Book Store & Gift Shoppe in 2019; the store was re-branded in 2022 as Monarch Books & Gifts.
