PENNSVYLVANIA - The FBI announced last month that they are seeking a Pennsylvania woman who faked terminal brain cancer to scam friends, family members, and supporters out of thousands of dollars. Vanessa O'Rourke, believed to be 37 years old, is one of the agency’s most wanted fugitives, Fox News Digital reports.
The FBI alleges that O’Rourke spent months convincing loved ones she was suffering from glioblastoma, an aggressive and usually fatal form of brain cancer. She claimed she needed the money for treatment, daily living expenses, and experimental medical care overseas, Fox News Digital reported.
O’Rourke allegedly told supporters that traditional treatments failed and that she needed to travel to Australia for an experimental trial procedure that was her best chance at survival.
Friends and family rallied to the cause, donating money and organizing fundraisers to help someone whom they believed was battling a terminal illness. Maddeningly, the cancer story was a fabrication.
Investigators found that between October 2015 and July 2016, O’Rourke falsely claimed her health was deteriorating to obtain financial support from those closest to her. Prosecutors allege that supporters provided money directly to O’Rourke, and helped organize fundraisers to cover what she alleged were increasingly high medical costs.
dir="ltr">O’Rourke traveled to Australia in April 2016, telling loved ones that she was receiving “experimental treatment” not available in the United States. However, she instead spent that trip sightseeing and engaging in recreational activities while receiving no medical treatment whatsoever.
Upon her return home to the U.S., O’Rourke continued the scam by encouraging further fundraisers for her, including a donation webpage online and a fundraising benefit held at a Pennsylvania restaurant, where supporters were led to believe that monies raised would be used for her “ongoing cancer battle.”
That money was used for a subsequent trip to Australia where O’Rourke again engaged in leisure activities instead of receiving “treatment” for her bogus illness. The scheme eventually caught the attention of federal investigators.
On May 3, 2018, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted O’Rourke on 15 counts of wire fraud. A federal warrant was issued for her arrest; however, she has been on the run since.
Her case is one of several high-profile “fake cancer” scams that have rocked the U.S. in recent years, with fraudsters taking advantage of sympathy, utilizing online crowdfunding sites and emotional support networks for financial gain.
In recent years, several women in the U.S. and abroad have been accused or convicted of fabricating terminal illnesses while taking advantage of fundraisers and community events.
In one case, a California woman, Amanda Riley, who was the subject of the “Scamanda” podcast and an ABC docuseries, admitted she faked cancer for years while receiving over $100,000 in donations from supporters.
As in those cases, prosecutors allege O’Rourke’s scheme relied heavily on the trust and compassion of those closest to her, such as friends, relatives, and other supporters who believed they were helping to save someone’s life.
Such scams can be effective, authorities and fraud experts warn, because they often target tight-knit communities eager to rally around someone they believe is fighting for survival, Fox News Digital reported.
The FBI is asking for anyone with information as to O’Rourke’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement or the FBI.
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