The infamous potato salad campaign on Kickstarter already raised about US$55,000 from almost 7,000 backers, but users said it's beginning a series of fraudulent projects online.

The potato salad project was posted by Zack Danger Brown as an online joke, but because of the popularity it gained, several copycats are now posting their own sham campaigns to raise funds.

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Brown had asked for a minimum of US$10 from people to help him make a potato salad.  Many backers had responded afte the potato salad campaign went viral. 

"Basically, I'm just making potato salad. I haven't decided what kind yet," Brown wrote in his project page.

However, due to the online attention and the great amount of donations the potato salad project generated, imitators soon started copying the campaign.

One person posted a project called "bacon is better than potato salad", while another asked for donations to make chicken soup.

The number of fraudulent campaigns on the website is frustrating users who are now wanting to stop funding Kickstarter projects.

"It's like they don't care about any rules anymore. It's really frustrating," a Kickstarter user said, according to the New York Post.

Kickstarter is a funding website that allows people to donate money for different projects -- from travels to building houses and now, to making a potato salad.

In June, Kickstarter rolled out more simplified steps in posting a campaign on the website.

Previously, projects had to be approved by the website's staff before it can be posted. A new algorithm has been created, however, allowing anyone with a project idea to instantly upload it online, according to a statement released by the company.

While there are users who commended the site's faster uploading process, others are cynical that the speedy process is compromising the quality of the projects that are being posted on the site.

"If they continue down the road they are on, it will hurt their brand and they will be no different than Indiegogo," securities lawyer Anthony Zeoli said.

Zeoli added that it will be beneficial for Kickstarter to enter into "equity crowdfunding" where the company can obtain online investors, but he said Kickstarter has to be more discerning on what projects to post.

TagsPotato Salad project, Kickstarter, Zack Danger Brown