I think you need to accept that many of those who believed the McCanns at first have changed their minds. The McCanns had tremendous support at the beginning but it has slowly disappeared. Kate's bike ride fundraiser demonstrated this because she struggled to reach her target and only reached it weeks after the event.
By comparison Amaral's fund, set up by Leanne Baulch exceeded it's target spectacularly. Not because everyone subscribed to his theory, not because they were duped and lied to by him but because many felt they had been duped and lied to by the McCanns.
They had begun to look like people who would countenance no dissent. If anyone questioned their version of events they were Carter-Rucked or they were labelled 'vile trolls' and 'sad inadequate people sitting in their bedrooms pouring out hate'. People began to own up to being trolls and being proud of it. They donated to Amaral's Fund as much to teach the McCanns a lesson as to help him. No-one knew if he would win, but they hoped he would and they made it possible for him to have that chance.
It now appears more than coincidental that the 'Madeleine may be alive' story emerged just before the 'McCanns lose appeal story'. A pattern has emerged over the years of encouraging stories being written just as discouraging stories are written. I wonder if they call DCS Duthie 'Mick'?
Kate McCann's bike ride fundraiser was for Missing People not for herself.
The appeal for Amaral deceived people, they called it 'Justice for Madeleine' some people [as they really don't follow the case] thought that somehow Amaral was going to have the McCann's arrested when he won his appeal, even now I read on twitter 'arrests soon then' really these people have no idea. That appeal Justice for Madeleine was even put out on Madeleine's birthday which was really disgusting. I read on one of the papers comment section that one poster was watching Richard Halls video's, so you have all the conspiracy groups commenting on there, plus the nasty groups just organised to abuse the McCann's. One person who has got a petition for SY with over a thousand signatures, all of those probably commented.
They don't represent the general public, they represent the mass who have made the Madeleine case their life ambition.