'Paying it forward': that was the feel-good title a New Jersey couple gave their GoFundMe page last year, which was allegedly a hoax.

It raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt.

On the page Kate McClure claims she'd run out of gas on a highway outside Philadelphia and that Bobbitt used his last 20 dollars to help her out.

Now, police say they're all facing criminal charges on allegations they made the story up.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SCOTT COFFINA BURLINGTON COUNTY PROSECUTOR, SAYING: "The paying forward story that drove this fundraiser might seem to good to be true.

Unfortunately it was." Police say Kate McClure and her boyfriend appeared on media both local and international to quote 'perpetuate the myth.'

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SCOTT COFFINA BURLINGTON COUNTY PROSECUTOR, SAYING: "The entire campaign was predicated on a lie, less than an hour after their GoFundMe page went live, McClure in a text exchange with a friend stated that the story about Bobbitt assisting her was fake" Authorities say the couple and Bobbitt have all been charged with conspiracy and theft by deception.