What happened to a Michigan Red Baron worker targeted in a prank? How a fundraiser brought unexpected support

A Michigan Red Baron delivery worker has received an outpouring of support after a video showed him confronting a social media prankster who pretended to take money from his phone while he was working. The man, who was seen in the video has been identified online as Walt Z.

The footage spread online and prompted a GoFundMe campaign for the father of four. The worker later told the fundraiser organizer that he was “blown away” by the donations, according to The Detroit News. The video was first posted on an Instagram handle called Thea.ctiveworld, also known as ThreeOfAKind. Later, the account was deleted.

What happens in the video

The two-minute-long video started when Walt stocked frozen pizzas in the grocery store. Then the prankster approached him and asked for his time.


The person who was filming the video was not visible throughout the video. He pulled out his own mobile phone and he played a sound which resembled the sound of an Apple pay transaction. He told him that he took $10 from him.

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At first he was calm but he said he will report about this and then went back to his work. Later the video cuts to a scene where Walt was seen very angry and anxious at the checkout counter.

He then explained about his struggle . The videographer said, “It's not that deep."

Then Walt expressed his frustration: “No, it's not a joke to me. Okay, I don't have time for this crap in my life. My life is hard enough as it is. Okay, I don't need this crap. I got kids at home that went to bed without me right now. I was supposed to be at home an hour ago and I'm still out here working and I gotta get up at 5 in the morning and do 10 more stores. So this is not a joke to me and now I'm probably gonna get kicked out of the store because of you. Not funny.”

He went on, “I'm just like I don't need this in my life.”

“You're probably making money off this. Oh, I can't pay my goddamn mortgage and I got four kids at home. Okay, so not funny, I got you,” He added.

How did the fundraiser help the worker?

Following the video's spread online, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to support Walt and his family. According to The Detroit News, the fundraiser had collected more than $335,000 from over 9,000 donations as of October 29, 2026.

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The campaign was started by Luke Oakenshield of Arizona, who said he did not know Walt personally. He wanted to give the worker financial support, help him cover expenses such as his mortgage and ensure he could continue providing for his four children. Oakenshield also said he hoped the money would offer Walt some protection if he lost his job.

What is the Apple Pay prank?

The Apple Pay prank is a social media stunt in which people use a downloaded payment sound to make strangers believe money has been taken from their accounts. According to The Daily Dot, pranksters usually approach people in stores, ask for money and then play the Apple Pay notification sound near their phones. Some also show fake transaction screens to make the trick seem real. However, no money is transferred just by playing the sound. Both users must approve an actual Apple Cash payment for it to go through.