Madison Russo, a 20-year-old woman from Bettendorf, Iowa, was sentenced to a suspended 10-year prison term and three years of probation for faking a cancer diagnosis and fraudulently collecting nearly $40,000 in donations.
She had claimed to suffer from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Stage 2 pancreatic cancer, and a large tumor, using another person’s photos to support her false claims on social media.
Anonymous witnesses with medical experience exposed inconsistencies in her story, leading to the discovery that she had never been diagnosed with cancer or a tumor.
GoFundMe removed her fundraiser, banned her from the platform, and refunded all donors.
Russo is also required to perform 100 hours of community service as part of her sentence.