A woman accused of faking terminal brain cancer to scam friends, family members and supporters out of thousands of dollars is among the FBI’s most wanted fugitives after authorities said she used the donations to fund luxury travel and vacations in Australia instead of medical treatment.
The FBI said on May 23 that it is still hunting for Vanessa ORourke, who has been on the run for years since she was indicted in 2018 for her suspected scheme.
Authorities allege O’Rourke, now 37, spent months convincing loved ones she was dying from glioblastoma, an aggressive and often fatal form of brain cancer, while claiming she desperately needed money for treatment, daily living expenses and experimental medical care overseas.
ORourke told supporters that traditional treatment options had failed and that traveling to Australia for an experimental procedure represented her best chance at survival.
Friends and family members reportedly rallied around her, donating money and organizing fundraisers to help what they believed was a young woman battling a terminal illness. But authorities say the was entirely fabricated.
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Investigators allege that between October 2015 and July 2016, ORourke used false claims about her health to obtain financial support from people close to her. Prosecutors say supporters provided money directly to ORourke and also helped organize efforts to cover what they believed were mounting medical costs.
In April 2016, ORourke traveled to Australia, allegedly telling loved ones she was receiving experimental treatment unavailable in the United States. Instead, according to federal authorities, she spent the trip engaging in sightseeing and recreational activities and received no medical treatment whatsoever.
After returning to the United States, investigators say ORourke continued the alleged scam by encouraging friends and family members to organize additional fundraising events on her behalf.
Authorities say a donation webpage was launched online and a fundraising benefit was held at a Pennsylvania restaurant, where supporters gathered to raise money for what they believed was ORourkes ongoing cancer battle.
Federal prosecutors allege the money raised during those efforts was later used to fund another trip to Australia in 2016, where ORourke again allegedly participated in leisure activities instead of receiving treatment for the illness investigators say never existed.
The alleged scheme eventually drew the attention of federal investigators.
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On May 3, 2018, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted ORourke on 15 counts of wire fraud. A federal warrant was issued for her arrest, and she remains wanted by the FBI.
ORourkes case is one of several high-profile “fake cancer” scams that have shocked communities in recent years, as fraudsters allegedly exploited sympathy, online fundraising platforms and emotional support networks for financial gain.
In recent years, several women across the United States and abroad have been accused or convicted of fabricating terminal illnesses while collecting money through fundraisers, crowdfunding pages and community events.
One of the most notorious cases involved California woman Amanda Riley, the subject of the hit “Scamanda” podcast and ABC docuseries, who admitted to faking cancer for years while receiving more than $100,000 in donations from supporters.
Like those cases, prosecutors allege ORourkes scheme relied heavil
