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Woman Scams Donors Out of $37,000 By Faking Cancer Diagnosis on TikTok and GoFundMe

  • Madison Russo, a 20-year-old from Iowa, pleaded guilty to first-degree theft for pretending to have pancreatic cancer and leukemia to steal money from donors.
  • Russo took photos from real cancer patients' social media accounts and posted them as her own to help sell her story.
  • Russo raised over $37,000 from more than 439 donors across multiple platforms including GoFundMe, various charities, schools, and individuals.
  • After Russo's scam was revealed, GoFundMe banned her from the platform and refunded all donations.
  • Russo faces up to 10 years in prison for her theft and fraud.
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