Woman allegedly faked cancer to swindle money online

A Perth woman has been charged over allegations of defrauding hundreds of people around the world out of tens of thousands of dollars by pretending she had cancer. 

The 35-year-old, who is set to appear at Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday, is facing one count of gains benefit by fraud over the alleged scam, dating back to 2021. 

In echoes of the infamous Belle Gibson case – the author who was fined $410,000 by the Federal Court in 2017 for lying about having cancer – the WA woman allegedly benefited from a GoFundMe page that raised $36,000 from around 500 people. 

She was arrested two weeks ago, and the police are set to allege in court that in March 2021, a man created the GoFundMe page for her as she had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

It will be alleged the woman later registered herself as the beneficiary of the money being raised, the West Australian reported. 

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It will also be alleged that the woman appeared in a video on another website to promote the GoFundMe page, claiming the money raised would be used for her medical treatment.

The WA police will allege that between March and September 2021, more than 500 people from 16 countries donated over $37,000 to the GoFundMe page.

Between March and October 2021, the woman allegedly transferred more than $36,000 of the money raised to her own bank account.

‘It will be alleged the woman had not been diagnosed with the medical condition as the fundraising account and supporting video claimed,’ a police spokesman said.

There is no allegation that the man who created the GoFundMe page was aware the woman’s claims were not true, and he has not been charged with any offences. 

For many Australians, the new case has shocking similarities with that of Victorian woman Belle Gibson.

She claimed to have cured her terminal brain cancer with a healthy diet and encouraged others to swap conventional medicine for natural remedies. 

Gibson launched an app called The Whole Pantry in 2013 and signed a book deal with Penguin Random House, before it was revealed she had never been diagnosed with cancer.

Seven years on from getting a $410,00 fine, it reportedly has not been paid due to her huge personal debts, which may have spiralled to more than $500,000 with interest. 

‘I haven’t paid things because I can’t afford to,’ she told a TV show in February.