Dear Abby: My son stole money meant for his daughter’s college fund

Nypost · Apr 20, 2026 · 538 words · By Dear Abby

Family financial misconduct Workplace cultural change

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What to know about Family financial misconduct

DEAR ABBY: My oldest granddaughter will be looking at colleges soon.

Claims checked 20

Techniques found 3

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

DEAR ABBY: My oldest granddaughter will be looking at colleges soon.

Why it matters

My parents gave my son (their grandson) money to put away in accounts for his daughters’ college.

Common ground

Instead, he helped himself to that money before the divorce.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Anger: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Family financial misconduct story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that I have kept this a secret because I don’t trust my son to manage it?
How does this story connect Family financial misconduct with Workplace cultural change over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/20/lifestyle/dear-abby-my-son-stole-money-meant-for-h…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Anger 60% confidence

Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 20 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 10

info Single Source 7

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

help

Claim 1: “I have kept this a secret because I don’t trust my son to manage it.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results or Wikipedia entries to support the claim that the author kept the savings secret due to distrust of her son's financial management.

info

Claim 2: “My oldest granddaughter will be looking at colleges soon.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results contain snippets discussing the author's oldest granddaughter looking at colleges, but these snippets appear to originate from the same narrative context (the 'DEAR ABBY' type of personal story) and are not corroborated by independent news sources reporting this specific fact.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — It's all about the U for Kai Trump. Former President Donald Trump's oldest granddaughter, 17, is headed to the University of Miami. The golf phenom made the announcement on Instagram on Sunday ...
https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/miami-com-news/article…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Kai Madison Trump (born May 12, 2007) is an American social media personality. A member of the Trump family, she is the eldest child of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Pergolizzi and the eldest grandchil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai_Trump

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — DEAR ABBY: My oldest granddaughter will be looking at colleges soon. My son and her mother are divorced. My parents gave my son (their grandson) money to put away in accounts for his daughters' colleg…
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/arts_and_culture/advice/man-s…

schedule

Claim 3: “I feel like a failure for having raised a son who would take money that belongs to his kids.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 4: “Contact Dear Abby at http://www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 5: “They are in their 90s.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results and Wikipedia entries provided are general and do not contain specific information confirming that 'the author's parents are in their 90s.' The evidence is either irrelevant (Wikipedia articles on general topics) or too vague to confirm this specific age claim.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_Unit…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is the definite article in English. The, or THE, may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_(disambiguation)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 6: “My son and her mother are divorced.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results contain snippets mentioning the author's son and the granddaughter's mother in relation to divorce, but these snippets appear to originate from the same narrative context and are not corroborated by independent news sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In this song, King Henry VIII sings about his six wives & what happened to ones that didn’t bring him a male heir.Subscribe for more Horrible Histories: http...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTdTDCRKvvM

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Смотрите онлайн «Your Mother's Son» от автора Pinoy Tambayan. Хорошее качество видео без регистрации в бесплатном видеокаталоге ВКонтакте. Опубликовано 29 мая 2024. 399380 — просмотрели, 626 — оценили…
https://vk.com/video-165473791_456239454

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Incest, milf, mom, mother, son, taboo, wrestling, blowjob, creampie, handjob, cum, tits, pov, feature, classic, incest, drama, c. ukdevilz.com. 29 Nisan 2019.Mizuno yuuka the days of incest spent with…
https://twitter.yandex.com.tr/video/preview/1721063765037424…

help

Claim 7: “When I asked him how he planned to help pay for college, he said he would use the money he now pays for child support.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results or Wikipedia entries to support the claim that the author's son stated he would use child support money for college.

info

Claim 8: “I decided not to tell my parents about it because I was afraid it might shock them into a stroke or heart attack.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results contain snippets about the author withholding information from her parents due to fear of causing them a medical event, but these snippets appear to originate from the same narrative context and are not corroborated by independent news sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Sweating during a heart attack may be due to activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The body does this in reaction to either the pain or to low blood pressure. Profuse sweating is also a sympto…
https://facty.com/ailments/heart/10-heart-attack-symptoms-in…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — One leading cause of stroke in young adults is cervical artery dissection, a tear in the neck's carotid or vertebral artery. This can be triggered by intense exercise like jiu jitsu, weight training o…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15723257/stroke-s…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A heart attack happens when blood flow to your heart is blocked. Find out about the symptoms, what to do if you think you're having one, causes, treatments and recovery.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heart-attack/

schedule

Claim 9: “They have a catered lunch with specialty treats of chocolate-covered strawberries, fudge hearts and the customary heart candies that read “Be Mine,” “I Love You”, etc.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 10: “My parents gave my son (their grandson) money to put away in accounts for his daughters’ college.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results contain snippets suggesting the author's parents gave money for college accounts, but these snippets appear to originate from the same narrative context and are not corroborated by independent news sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like T/F thanks to a settlement from the authors father wrongfull death the auther and his sisters had a sizable college fund, T/F the autho…
https://quizlet.com/462681802/the-other-wes-moore-english-fi…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Wes's (Author) family members gave money, and his grandparents took the money they had in their home to pay for his first year. They felt this was his only chance to change.
https://quizlet.com/153863128/the-other-wes-moore-flash-card…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Her parents paid for both of their daughters' college educations and helped them with down payments for their homes. They had been treated equally. Or so Linda thought — until her father died. As exec…
https://healthland.time.com/2012/07/25/kids-and-money-when-i…

schedule

Claim 11: “My husband has been with this company for 30 years, and we’ve been together for 15 of them, but this Valentine’s Day celebration began only four years ago.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “I believe it is a celebration for couples rather than co-workers.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 13: “I have put away some money to help pay for college, but it won’t cover the costs.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results indicate that saving money for college is often insufficient to cover the actual costs, corroborating the claim that saved money might not cover expenses.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alexander has been interested in programming since his childhood. True. His parents made him enter a college of information technology because they both work in the field of IT.
https://www.euroki.org/koza/are-these-statements-true-or-fal…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Even with working full time, data shows that it’s nearly impossible for an MU student to completely pay for their college expenses without having money already saved, or receiving a tuition waiver. In…
https://themaneater.com/full-time-employment-during-college-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — For years, college costs have only gone up as incomes failed to keep pace. Now with unemployment spiking to levels not seen since the Great Depression and hiring freezes instituted across industries, …
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/04/more-than-half-of-students-p…

schedule

Claim 14: “I am 65 and have worked 20-plus years for a Fortune 500 corporate office and NEVER has Valentine’s Day been celebrated in the office.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 15: “Instead, he helped himself to that money before the divorce.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results contain snippets suggesting the author's son took the money before the divorce, but these snippets appear to originate from the same narrative context and are not corroborated by independent news sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Their son, David Gordon Rowling Murray, was born in 2003, [169] and their daughter Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray in 2005. [170] In 2004, Forbes named Rowling "the first billion-dollar author". [171]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The thing is that the author and his wife got divorced, and his now-ex spent literally all of their daughter's college fund on her new home. Sam didn't mind - after all, her grandmother, our hero's mo…
https://www.boredpanda.com/daughter-college-fund-situation/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — I used my daughter's college fund to pay for my wife's school and planned on replenishing it so that my daughter would have a fund when it was her turn to go to college.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/i3vhcb/aita_…

info

Claim 16: “When his ex-wife told me about it, I confronted him.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results contain snippets describing the author confronting her son after his ex-wife informed her, but these snippets appear to originate from the same narrative context and are not corroborated by independent news sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Artistic & Safety DisclosureStrictly Prohibited for Viewers Under 18Nature of Content:This channel primarily features original short drama productions, categ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4vY6vjQ_Yw

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — John Steinbeck’s wife Gwyn Conger Steinbeck describes the author as “a sadistic man” and a serial womaniser, in a newly unearthed memoir found in Wales, which is set to be published for the first time…
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/sep/07/john-steinbeck…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — She refused to speak to a reporter when confronted over her incestuous abuse of her son Logan when he was 10.Gifford, pictured in her mugshot, broke the terms of her parole by contacting her son after…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15736043/doreene-gi…

schedule

Claim 17: “She also thinks I should tell my parents that he stole the money they intended for her.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 18: “My husband’s office staff (eight young women under the age of 30) insist on celebrating Valentine’s Day with decorations on all office doors, complete with hearts and cupids.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 19: “Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 20: “My granddaughter is upset and feels her father has ruined her future.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.