Scotland Yard’s cyber crime unit today launched an inquiry into suspected fraudsters who set up a fake fundraising campaign for murdered university lecturer Daniel Young.

The scammers launched an online campaign to help raise money for the funeral costs for 30-year-old Mr Young, who was stabbed to death as he walked to work on Tuesday morning.

The appeal raised £580 of its £3,000 target in less than 24 hours and had been shared more than 70 times before it was taken down.

Detectives branded the appeal “despicable” and the Yard’s Falcon cyber crime unit launched an inquiry into the page which was establish without the family’s knowledge.

It is believed the Gofundme page may have been set up by San Diego-based scammers after the account used to create it was traced to the US city.

Among the people who have donated are former The Bill actor Ben Peyton, who lives in Morden, and people who say they went to school with Mr Young.

The development came as detectives are questioning a second suspect in connection with the murder.

The 35-year-old man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of stabbing the lecturer as he took a short cut through a park to Morden tube station.

Mr Young, who had started his dream job at Coventry University’s London campus in the City on Monday, was fatally wounded in a seemingly random attack at around 8am.

A post-mortem examination at St George’s Hospital last night gave a cause of death as a stab wound. Police declined to comment on where the wound was located.

Homicide detectives were today still trying to establish a motive for the killing and are keeping an open mind as to whether he was attacked by a stranger or someone known to him.

Detectives continued to appeal for information from witnesses – including people who came across Mr Young and battled in vain to save him before paramedics arrived.

Detectives investigating Mr Young’s murder had previously arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of wasting police time and he was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder.

He was bailed on Wednesday until a later date.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4961 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.