Bobby Bones saw two listeners reach out to him in his direct messages on Instagram.
Typically, Bobby checks his DMs only once a week, usually on Tuesdays. While going through messages, he came across one from someone connected to the Magnet Cove archery team, which had qualified for the NASP World Championships. The message shared that the small-town team was trying to raise money for the trip and believed Bobby would understand the importance of the opportunity because of his own small-town background. Bobby responded by asking how much money they were trying to raise and later purchased two sponsorship patches for $400. After making the donation, Bobby joked that he now considered himself part owner of the high school archery team.
Another message Bobby had received from a listener asked for help buying diapers. Becoming a parent had given Bobby a new appreciation for how expensive raising a baby can be, and he wanted to help. The listener sent a Venmo account after Bobby offered assistance, and Bobby initially sent $200. However, the listener became suspicious and questioned whether the money was actually coming from Bobby or from a scammer pretending to be him online. Bobby appreciated the caution because people should be careful with online transactions. To verify his identity, he sent the listener a selfie. The listener then shared a photo from a book signing event they had attended years earlier and thanked Bobby for helping their family. According to Bobby, the listener also revealed that his father had recently died and that funeral expenses had forced the family to use money they had set aside for baby supplies. After that conversation, Bobby sent additional money to help. Amy joked that the story could have been an elaborate scam, especially after the listener initially questioned Bobby’s identity. She pointed out that scammers sometimes use believable emotional details to gain trust. Bobby clarified that the listener never directly asked for more money after mentioning the funeral expenses. Instead, Bobby voluntarily chose to send additional help after hearing about the situation.
Although the show continued joking about the possibility of being scammed, Bobby ultimately felt comfortable with the risk. He explained that even if the story turned out to be false, he preferred to err on the side of helping someone who might genuinely need support.