Factz

BREAKING

TikToker Raised Thousands for Cancer, But it was a Scam

A TikToker named Madison Russo used her social media reach to spread awareness about her battle with cancer.

As a result, she was able to raise over $40,000 on GoFundMe to handle the enormous challenge of facing down cancer.

However, police say it was all a scam, and she’s now been charged with theft.

The 19-year-old influencer scammed 439 donors out of their money by telling them she was battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, stage 2 pancreatic cancer, and a football-sized tumor that wrapped around her spine.

Keen-eyed observers with medical experience noted discrepancies in her account of her illness, and police sent a subpoena to her doctors only to discover that she had “never been diagnosed with any kind of cancer or tumor from any medical facilities within the Quad Cities or surrounding cities.”

Police are currently working to identify the victims of Russo’s scam, and GoFundMe says they have issued a full refund to donors.