List of cancer victim hoaxes

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There is a long tradition of hoaxsters transmitting untrue stories about the suffering of victims of cancer, either to raise money, to harvest valid email addresses, or to cause trouble.[1][2][3][4]

The Jessica Mydek hoax letters have been used as an example of a typical cancer victim hoax in several computer security textbooks.[5][6][7] According to Richard E. Smith, the author of Elementary Information Security, the Mydek letters were typical examples of email hoax letters:

A common type of chain email claims to promote some charitable activity by generating lots of email traffic. These are almost always bogus; no well-known charity has ever intentionally promoted such an activity. In particular, numerous chain emails have claimed that each email sent will yield a donation for cancer research, or specifically, to the American Cancer Society.[5]

In her analysis of examples of the Jessica Mydek hoax letters Theresa Heyn, author of Email Hoaxes: Form, Function, Genre Ecology, found it had the three classic elements scholars recognize in a sympathy hoax letter: the "hook", the "threat", and the "request".[4] In the Mydek letter the hook was the heartbreaking claim apparently from a child dying of cancer.

List of alleged cancer victims

alleged victim 1st year active notes
Craig John[8]
Craig Shelford[4][9]
Craig Shelton[8]
Craig Sheford[9]
Craig Sheppard[10]
Craig Sherford[9]
Craig Sherwood[9]
Gary Richard[8]
1992
  • In the 1980s a boy named Craig Shergold suffering from cancer, requested the public's help him to get listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the recipient of the highest volume of get-well cards.[11] He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.[12] Shergold did win his listing in the record book, after receiving over one and a quarter million cards, and his cancer went into remission.[13] Unfortunately his story was so compelling and capable of capturing public sympathy, that he continued to get such a large volume of mail that it was a burden.[9] Attempts to convince the public Shergold was in remission, and no longer needed or wanted more cards were in effect.
  • By 1992 variant chain letters modeled after Shergold's original sincere chain letter campaign started to circulate.[13][14][15][16][17][18] These variant chain letters changed the cancer suffer's name. These variant chain letters no longer requested get well cards -- they request business card. Security analysts asserted the letters were being to harvest names and phone numbers of credulous individuals for a sucker list, who could later be targeted by telemarketers or con artists.[9]
  • Variant of this hoax chain letter were still circulating in 2006.[10]
"Jessica Mydek" 1997
  • The letter from "Jessica Mydek" represented itself as a letter from a 7-year-old girl with terminal brain cancer, but the American Cancer Society determined there was no such child.[11][19][20]
  • The Jessica Mydek letter requested recipients to forward the letter as widely as possible among their friends and acquaintances, and include a bogus email address on the carbon copy list, that they claimed was that of the American Cancer Society. The email addresses on the carbon copy list were subsequently sold to other online fraudsters.
Ashley Kirilow 2009

invalid names, e.g. too many[24][25][26][27]

"Tamara Martin"
  • The Tamara Martin chain letter tells recipients that Dave Matthews, of the Dave Matthews Band, will send his American Online screen name to them to reward them for forwarding Tamara's story to their friends.[11][31][32] The letter reports that Tamara has six months to live.
"Amy Bruce" 1997
  • The Amy Bruce chain letter claimed little Amy was "suffering from lung cancer due to second hand smoke and a large brain tumor due to repeated beatings."[32][33][34][35]
  • Versions of the Amy Bruce chain letter have been circulating from as early as 1997.[36]
"Jonathan Jay White" 2009
Jessica Vega 2010
Jennifer Dibble (Rubio) 2003
  • 29-year-old Faked terminal lung and kidney cancer for donations, free trips and sympathy.[47]
Martha Nicholas 1999
  • In April 2011 Virginia Police, acting on a tip, began investigating Nicholas, a forty-two year-old mother of two, who claimed she had ovarian cancer, since she "was in her twenties".[48][49][50] Nicholas was charged in December 2011. Her guilty plea was accepted in April 2011, and she was sentenced in May 2013.
  • Nicholas and the prosecution agreed on a plea deal in early January 2013.[51] Unexpectedly, Robert D. Laney, the Hanover Country, Virginia Judge on her case, declined to approve the plea deal, asserting Nicholas's crime undermined the public's confidence in genuine charities, and this required a more stringent sentence.[50]
  • In May 2013 she was given a 10 year suspended sentence.[52]
  • Nicholas convinced her own children she was dying of cancer.[53]
  • Nicholas raised funds at fund-raising events, and through selling T-shirts and costume jewelry bearing anti-cancer logos.[54]
  • Nicholas used a wheelchair to convince potential donors she was suffering from cancer.[55]
  • Nicholas faced separate trial for Medicaid fraud, and for defrauding donors.[56]
  • Was a beneficiary of the Relay for life charity.[48]
Jessica Ann Leeder 2010
Keele Maynor 2003
Brigid A. Corcoran 2010
Kayla Jae Jones 2013
  • In July 2010 a teenager from Perth, Australia, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, and died 81 days later in September 2010.[63] Her mother used twitter, and a blog to cope with the pain and stress, telling her family's story, and sharing pictures. In January 2013 someone started a fake blog, and set up a twitter account, to tell the fake story of teenage girl from Atlanta Georgia, also named Kayla Jae Jones, and also suffering from terminal Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The author of the fake blog stole genuine pictures of the actual Kayla and her family to illustrate the fake blog.
  • The faker's story differed from the story of the real Kayla Jae Jones.[63]
  1. In the faker's story Kayla's mother, Cami, had five other children, including a son with autism and a daughter with Down's Syndrome;[63]
  2. In the faker's story Kayla's mom was a divorced singe mom, who was also pregnant with a seventh child;[63]
  3. In the faker's story Kayla's 14 year old sister was placed under house arrest for fighting with another girl;[63]
  4. In the faker's story her mother is going to loan Kayla her wedding dress for a death-bed wedding to her high school sweet-heart;[63]
  • The identity of the fake blogger remains unknown.[63]
  • There are no reports that the fake blogger tried to use the story to raise funds.[63]
Charlotte Roche 2014
  • Convinced a boyfriend she met online to "loan" her 14,000 GBP to cover expenses of a cancer recurrence, then dumped him, and didn't repay the loans.[64]
  • Planned to use part of the funds for cosmetic surgery.[64]

References

  1. Hossein Bidgoli (2006). Handbook of information security, Volume 3. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-22201-9. http://books.google.ca/books?id=0RfANAwOUdIC&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=cancer+victim+hoaxes&source=bl&ots=pESlams5up&sig=CFHSIN2FwXPgSRh336d8X_LQIEI&hl=en&ei=mr13TLrjFqrtnQf55vj3AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=24&ved=0CG0Q6AEwFw#v=onepage&q=cancer%20victim%20hoaxes&f=false. Retrieved 2010-08-27. "virus hoaxes ask you to help others by disseminating information. Cancer victim hoaxes ask you to generate mony for medical research by forwarding identical messages. However the common aim in each case is not to inform, to improve society, or even to sell a product: it is (purely or primarily) self-replicative." 
  2. "Guests Separate Truth From Urban Legend". CNN. 2001-02-03. http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0102/03/cst.25.html. Retrieved 2010-08-27.  mirror
  3. "Don't forward these e-mails - they're not legit". Soo Today. 2007-04-17. http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/full_story.asp?StoryNumber=24014. Retrieved 2010-08-27.  mirror
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Theresa Heyd (2008). Email Hoaxes: Form, Function, Genre Ecology. John Benjamins Publishing. pp. 34, 40, 62, 84, 86, 87, 88, 89, 93, 95, 96, 179,. ISBN 9789027254184. http://books.google.ca/books?id=jUTkPqhvd-wC&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94&dq=%22Jessica+mydek%22+hoax&source=bl&ots=7onFnvWR_T&sig=o26cZH2sKnHYmq-jZXlMSndHwhs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7ZG2UaHYEompqgHHjoG4Ag&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=cancer&f=false. Retrieved 2013-06-10. "Both the suggested moves 'hook' and 'threat' refer to the sensationalist quality that is usually inherent to EHs [email hoaxes]. To stand out in a users' mailbox and compete with the innumerable informational offers of the Internet, an EH must have a 'point'; it must be eminently tellable." 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Richard E. Smith (2011). "Elementary Information Security". Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 153. ISBN 9781449681913. http://books.google.ca/books?id=j39uAvxv6IMC&pg=PA694&dq=%22Jessica+mydek%22+hoax&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2nS4UdLTOeiZyAHkkoCADA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22Jessica%20mydek%22%20hoax&f=false. Retrieved 2013-06-12. 
  6. Laura J. Gurak (2001). "Cyberliteracy: Navigating the Internet with Awareness". Yale University Press. p. 82. ISBN 9780300130720. http://books.google.ca/books?id=TltFOFTPQCgC&pg=PA82&dq=%22Jessica+mydek%22+hoax&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2nS4UdLTOeiZyAHkkoCADA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22Jessica%20mydek%22%20hoax&f=false. Retrieved 2013-06-12. "Hoaxes asking you to send a card to a dying child or to save box tops from cereal so that a family won't starve are popular." 
  7. Anne P. Mintz (2002). "Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet". Information Today. p. 98. ISBN 9780910965606. http://books.google.ca/books?id=uS3p9iDooc8C&pg=PA98&dq=%22Jessica+mydek%22+hoax&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2nS4UdLTOeiZyAHkkoCADA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22Jessica%20mydek%22%20hoax&f=false. Retrieved 2013-06-12. "They report that "one frequent message says the American Red Cross will donate three cents to cancer research as part of 7-year-old cancer patient Jessica Mydek's dying wish. Another says the Make-A-Wish Foundation will pay seven cents towards the hospital bills of 7-year-old Amy Bruce, who it says is suffering from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke and a large brain tumor caused by repeated beatings. Another making the rounds says BCC Software will donate five cents to help with 7-year-old Kalin Relek's operations for internal bleeding after he was struck by a car. But it seems none of these 7-year-olds exists."" 
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Universities and companies fall for Gary Richards cancer appeal hoax". UK Fundraising. 1996-05-20. http://www.fundraising.co.uk/news/1996/05/20/universities-and-companies-fall-gary-richards-cancer-appeal-hoax. Retrieved 2013-06-11. "Unfortunately, Gary Richards does not exist. The appeal is a hoax, as are the similar appeals in the name of Craig Shergold, Craig John, Craig Shelton and others. - See more at: http://www.fundraising.co.uk/news/1996/05/20/universities-and-companies-fall-gary-richards-cancer-appeal-hoax#sthash.4rsuWklM.dpuf" 
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Zachary R. Dowdy (1994-11-04). "Cancer survivor hopes to break chain of letters: Flood of business cards overwhelms youth, agencies". Boston: Boston Globe. http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Info/shergold.html. Retrieved 2013-06-11. ""The point we'd like to get across is that Craig has had his wish, and it's his wish now -- and others' -- that people stop sending cards to him," said Linda Dozoretz, Fairy Godmother at the Atlanta-based Children's Wish Foundation." 
  10. 10.0 10.1 Karl Terry (2006-01-14). "Craig Sheppard: Ah, we meet again". Portales News Tribune. http://pntonline.com/cms/news/story-518246.html. Retrieved 2013-06-11. "It’s a hoax, of course. Craig Sheppard is not a real person but the chain letter that created him has kept him the same age with a terminal illness for a a decade and a half." 
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Caught up in chain mail". The Guardian. 2001-02-01. Archived from the original on 2012-04-11. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2001/feb/15/voluntarysector1. Retrieved 2010-08-27. "Timothy Flyte, Jessica Mydek, Tamara Martin, Rick Connor and Anthony Parkin are just some of the "children" who are damaging the work and reputations of the American Cancer Society, the National Lung Cancer Association, and the Children's Wish Foundation. Schools in Australia and Portugal and a hospital in the USA are the targets of similar chain emails." 
  12. "Craig Shergold". Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/medical/shergold.asp. Retrieved 2011-12-28.  mirror
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Attorney General warns against chain letter scam". Madison, Wisconsin: Milwaukee Journal. 1992-06-10. p. 53. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hpopAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eiwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6821,942279&dq=cancer+hoax+sucker+list&hl=en. Retrieved 2013-06-11. "Doyle believes the business cards are being used to create a "sucker" list for telemarketers." 
  14. Michelle Williams (1993-05-29). "Pleas for young cancer victim hoax". Chatanooga: Times Daily. p. 5. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19930529&id=LGQeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0scEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1353,4149868. Retrieved 2013-06-11. "Some officials say the letter is a ploy to create "sucker" mailing and telemarketing lists. Others say it's a misinformed, outdated request that won't die. All agree it should stop." 
  15. Mitch Lipka (2001-03-11). "Helpful Folks Taken In By Hoax". Sun Sentinel. http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2001-03-11/news/0103110088_1_craig-shergold-urban-legends-world-records. Retrieved 2013-06-08. "Shergold also unwittingly created one of the most enduring urban legends. It travels by chain letter and e-mail and just won't go away." 
  16. David Harley (2011-10-31). "Facebook Sympathy Hoax: No Surprises". We live security. http://www.welivesecurity.com/2011/10/31/facebook-sympathy-hoax-no-surprises/. Retrieved 2013-06-08. "Even though the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which never had anything to do with the appeal in the first place, had to point out on its web site that it has no connection with the many chain-messages that feature sick children and claim to be associated with the Foundation. It even gives a list of some of the names of children mentioned in such messages. And sure enough, several of them are variations on the name of Craig Shergold that we associate with full-hoax variations on the original chain-letter, many of which decided that he wanted business cards or compliments slips rather than get-well cards." 
  17. W. Winston Skinner (2009-11-24). "Sick boy's request sounds similar to Shergold hoax". Times Herald. http://www.times-herald.com/local/Sick-boys-request-sounds-similar-to-Shergold-hoax-907694. Retrieved 2013-06-08. "Shergold got well, but the story about the cards continues to circulate -- and to change. Sometimes his name became Craig Shelford, Craig Shelton or Craig Sheppard. Sometimes another child's name was used." 
  18. Gail De Vos (1996). Tales, Rumors, and Gossip: Exploring Contemporary Folk Literature in Grades 7-12. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 59-60. ISBN 9781563081903. http://books.google.ca/books?id=M8bvN93y-fIC&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=%22Craig+Shergold%22+hoax&source=bl&ots=DrvoDWxkNT&sig=TcOAyf7jZU0Kxfr21k8hSgS-YTg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=q2KzUY_lEIj1ygG5ooDACw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Shergold&f=false. Retrieved 2013-06-08. "Ann Landers addressed the issue of the request for business cards in a column published June 23, 1991. She warned her readers not to send business cards as "they can fall into the wrong hands and become part of the mother of all mailing lists. Sharp-eye scan perpetrators, always on the alert for suckers, may figure if you'd fall for this, you'd fall for anything"" 
  19. Ivar Peterson (1997-07-14). "Chain E-Mail: Heart-Rending Pleas Are Sometimes Counterfeit". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/14/business/chain-e-mail-heart-rending-pleas-are-sometimes-counterfeit.html. Retrieved 2010-08-27. "It seemed like such a heartfelt appeal: Jessica Mydek, only 7 years old and dying of cancer, sending out an electronic-mail message urging readers to live their lives more fully and, by the way, to pass her letter on to as many other E-mail recipients as possible, so that the American Cancer Society and several corporate sponsors would each contribute 3 cents toward cancer research for every message forwarded."  mirror
  20. "Jessica Mydek or Jean Ann Linney Cancer Email Hoax". Consumer fraud reporting. http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/emailhoaxesjessica.php. Retrieved 2010-08-27.  mirror
  21. Kim Carolco (2010-08-12). "Are Cancer Fraudsters Desperate or Psychopathic?". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/ashley-kirilow-cancer-charity-fraudsters/story?id=11369697. Retrieved 2010-08-18. "In an interview with the Toronto Star, she admitted to the hoax and said she did it to get attention and to get back at her family for her unhappy childhood."  mirror
  22. 22.0 22.1 Stephanie Dearing (2010-08-09). "Ashley Kirilow vilified for alleged cancer charity scam". Digital Journal. Archived from the original on 2010-08-20. http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/295735. Retrieved 2010-08-18. "Those in the know allege Kirilow made off with at least $20,000, an amount that under different circumstances would only merit the young woman a mention in the local newspaper after she'd been found guilty. But because Kirilow claims she faked cancer to get the money, her story has gone around the world."  mirror
  23. "Ganó miles de dólares tras fingir cáncer [He won thousands of dollars after faking cancer]" (in Spanish). El Universal. 2010-08-17. Archived from the original on 2010-08-20. http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/702087.html. Retrieved 2010-08-18. "Gran Fraude. Su Mentira fue descubierta por su padre, mas tarde sus activistas denunciarian la estafa."  mirror
  24. Lietuvos rytas (2010-10-10). "Apgavikų arsenale – ir mirties šešėlis [Scammers arsenal - and the shadow of death]" (in Lithuanian). lrytas.lt. Archived from the original on 2010-10-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20101013061901/http://www.lrytas.lt/-12867134821286481987-apgavik%C5%B3-arsenale-ir-mirties-%C5%A1e%C5%A1%C4%97lis.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-20. "Tokiomis nuotraukomis savo „Facebook” puslapyje ir melo istorijomis A.A.Kirilow apkvailino daugybę žmonių. Dabar ji tikina norinti ištaisyti klaidas, bet niekas ja nebetiki." 
  25. "Na Facebooku vylákala z lidí tisíce: Lhala, že má rakovinu! [On Facebook, lured thousands of people lied that she had cancer!]" (in Czech). Blesk. 2010-08-15. Archived from the original on 2010-08-17. http://www.blesk.cz/clanek/zpravy-zahranici/140695/na-facebooku-vylakala-z-lidi-tisice-lhala-ze-ma-rakovinu.html. Retrieved 2010-08-18. "Chtěla si přivydělat, tak předstírala závažnou nemoc. Kanaďanka Ashley Kirilow (23) si vytvořila profilna Facebooku, oholila si hlavu a obočí a svým přátelům na síti tvrdila, že má rakovinu."  mirror
  26. "末期がん偽る募金詐欺、頭剃ってフェースブックに カナダ [Fund-raising fraud pretending terminal cancer, Canada to face workbook shaved head]" (in Japanese). AFP BB News. 2010-08-12. Archived from the original on 2010-08-14. http://www.afpbb.com/article/disaster-accidents-crime/crime/2748094/6073616. Retrieved 2010-08-19. " カナダのメディアは今週いっせいに、髪の毛をそった頭に白いスカーフを巻いたアシュリー・キルロー(Ashley Kirilow)容疑者(23)の写真を報じた。"  mirror
  27. "Facebook-Schwindlerin verhaftet: Ashley (23) hatte gar keinen Krebs [Facebook swindler arrested: Ashley (23) had no cancer]" (in German). Blick. 2010-08-12. Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. http://www.blick.ch/news/ausland/ashley-23-hatte-gar-keinen-krebs-152890. Retrieved 2010-08-12. "Sie rasierte sich den Kopf und die Augenbrauen, schrieb immer wieder traurige Botschaften auf Facebook. Die Masche zog: Ashley Kirilow soll über das Online-Netzwerk Facebook das Mitleid ihrer Mitmenschen ausgenutzt und sich nach Polizeiangaben mindestens 5000 kanadische Dollar erschlichen haben. Bisherige Unterstützer der Frau schätzen die erschwindelten Einnahmen sogar auf 20´000 kanadische Dollar!"  mirror
  28. Joanne Richard (2010-08-18). "Accused cancer faker isn't alone". Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/life/2010/08/13/15015526.html. Retrieved 2010-08-18. "“Although there is clear evidence in the Kirilow case of malingering - lying about illness to get money – I would bet that the principal motive was an intangible one: to get attention, nurturance, care and concern that she felt unable to get in other ways.”"  mirror
  29. Brendan Kennedy (2010-08-06). "Woman faked cancer to raise money". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/844614--woman-faked-cancer-to-raise-money. Retrieved 2010-03-16. "Skate4Cancer’s involvement with Ms. Kirilow was based solely on fulfilling what the organization believed to be a legitimate final wish from a terminally ill individual."  mirror
  30. Kevin Gallagher (2010-08-19). "Ashley Kirilow, accused cancer faker, allegedly fielding death threats". National Post. http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/08/19/ashley-kirilow-accused-cancer-faker-expected-to-be-out-on-bail-friday/. Retrieved ~~~. "In an email to the National Post, Jeordie White, a friend of Ms. Kirilow’s, said: “I’ve been defending her at Facebook groups were [sic] demanding her head and uttering death threats towards her.”"  mirror
  31. Lee Zimmerman (2012-01-12). "Happy Birthday, Dave Matthews!". Broward Palm Beach New Times. http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/countygrind/2012/01/happy_birthday_dave_matthews.php. Retrieved 2013-06-11. "Controversy continues to dog him. In 2000, Reuters reported that a cancer hoax chain letter was being circulated online that promised that anyone who forwarded it would be rewarded with the disclosure of Matthews's AOL screen name." 
  32. 32.0 32.1 Shanida Smith (2000-08-17). "Watch out for hoax e-mails". Kingport Daily News. http://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=j0sPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6688,5494516&dq=tamara-martin+cancer+hoax&hl=en. Retrieved 2010-08-27. "One e-mail claims that Dave Matthews, front man for the Dave Matthews Band, will send his American Online screen name to everyone who forwards an e-mail about Tamara Martin, who has six months to live." 
  33. Mark Harrison (2005-09-13). "Internet hoaxes hurt real efforts". Dekalb Times Journal. http://times-journal.com/story.lasso?WCD=4560. Retrieved 2010-08-27. "But there IS hope, Amy says. “The Make-A-Wish Foundation has agreed to donate 7 cents for every forwarded e-mail. For those of you who send this along, I thank you so much, but for those who don’t sent it, what goes around comes around.” There’s only one problem – it’s an elaborate hoax. Little Amy Bruce doesn’t even exist." 
  34. Michael Rothfeld (2000-02-23). "E-mail Tales Not Always True". Newsday. p. 23. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/51062854.html?dids=51062854:51062854&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+23%2C+2000&author=Michael+Rothfeld.+STAFF+WRITER&pub=Newsday+%28Combined+editions%29&desc=E-mail+Tales+Not+Always+True&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2010-08-27. "The Amy Bruce message first appeared about three years ago in connection with the American Cancer Society and targeted the Make A Wish Foundation..." 
  35. Anne P. Mintz (2002). "Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet". Information Today. p. 98. ISBN 9780910965606. http://books.google.ca/books?id=uS3p9iDooc8C&pg=PA98&dq=%22Jessica+mydek%22+hoax&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2nS4UdLTOeiZyAHkkoCADA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22Jessica%20mydek%22%20hoax&f=false. Retrieved 2013-06-12. "They report that "one frequent message says the American Red Cross will donate three cents to cancer research as part of 7-year-old cancer patient Jessica Mydek's dying wish. Another says the Make-A-Wish Foundation will pay seven cents towards the hospital bills of 7-year-old Amy Bruce, who it says is suffering from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke and a large brain tumor caused by repeated beatings. Another making the rounds says BCC Software will donate five cents to help with 7-year-old Kalin Relek's operations for internal bleeding after he was struck by a car. But it seems none of these 7-year-olds exists."" 
  36. "Starship "tarnished" by hoax email". TVNZ. Oct 28, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. http://web.archive.org/web/20071031031240/http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_national_story_skin/1418535. Retrieved 2010-08-27. "Auckland's Starship Hospital is distancing itself from a hoax email appealing for support for a dying child... The email reads, "Hi my name is Amy Bruce. I am seven years old and have severe lung cancer... I also have a large tumour in my brain from repeated beatings."" 
  37. 37.0 37.1 37.2 "Idaho woman accused in cancer scam found dead". IDAHO FALLS, Idaho: KXNET. 2009-07-24. http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?setCity=wil&ArticleId=410530. Retrieved 2010-08-28. "A 24-year-old woman who allegedly ran a cancer donation scam that netted her thousands of dollars and gifts from celebrities has been found dead of an apparent suicide. Officials say Melissa Ann Rice, of Ammon, Idaho, apparently committed suicide days after a charge of grand theft by fraud was filed against her. Her body was found Wednesday in her car."  mirror
  38. 38.0 38.1 "Cyclist Armstrong 'Fell For Teen Cancer Hoax'". Sky News. 2009-07-21. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Lance-Armstrong-Allegedly-Hoaxed-By-Fake-Cancer-Teenager-Jonathan-Jay-White/Article/200907315342729?lpos=World_News_Second_Home_Page_Article_Teaser_Region_0. Retrieved 2010-08-28. "The champion athlete said today he received "seriously disturbing news" suggesting Jonathan Jay White did not exist. He believed him to be a 15-year-old seriously ill with brain cancer."  mirror
  39. Doyle Murphy (2010-09-06). "Bride's 'Till death do us part' story was false, husband says: He disputes wife's claims she was dying". Times Herald Record. http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100906/NEWS/9060333. Retrieved 2012-04-11. "Now O'Connell says his wife, Jessica Vega, had pretended — saying she had terminal leukemia in order to scam him, everyone they knew and a long list of strangers who heard her story and wanted to help."  mirror
  40. "Ex-New York woman charged with faking cancer for wedding". Fox News. 2012-04-10. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/10/ex-new-york-woman-charged-with-faking-cancer-for-wedding/?intcmp=obinsite. Retrieved 2012-04-11. "According to the indictment, Vega accepted thousands of dollars in donated services and goods after claiming in 2010 that she was dying of leukemia. The newspaper ran a story on Vega's wedding wish."  mirror
  41. 41.0 41.1 "Tricked: Husband says wife faked cancer for free goodies". MSNBC. 2010-09-07. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39041806/ns/today-relationships/t/tricked-husband-says-wife-faked-cancer-free-goodies/#.T4XTG9kpmnA. Retrieved 2012-04-11.  mirror
  42. "Jessica Vega, 'Fake Cancer Bride', Is Back With Her Ex-Husband". Huffington Post. 2012-06-08. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/08/jessica-vega-fake-cancer_n_1582525.html. Retrieved 2013-06-08. 
  43. Alice Gomstyn (2012-06-07). "‘Cancer Bride’ Alleges Accomplice But Won’t ‘Snitch’". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2012-06-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20120608030854/http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/06/cancer-bride-alleges-accomplice-but-wont-snitch/. Retrieved 2013-06-08. "In her first broadcast interview, Jessica Vega told “20/20″ co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas that a friend forged letters from doctors about her supposed cancer treatments and that Vega signed them." 
  44. Madeleine Davies (2012-06-08). "Fake Cancer Bride Is Soooo Sorry for Faking Cancer". Jezebel.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-08. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjezebel.com%2F5916882%2Ffake-cancer-bride-is-soooo-sorry-for-faking-cancer&date=2013-06-08. 
  45. Dalina Castellanos (2012-05-23). "Fake-cancer bride has done her time: She's sentenced, released". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/23/nation/la-na-nn-fake-cancer-bride-20120523. Retrieved 2013-06-08. "The bride accused of duping her family, friends and community into thinking she had terminal cancer -- and receiving a dream wedding, honeymoon and gifts because of it -- was sentenced to time served Wednesday and released after two months in jail." 
  46. Christina Ng (2012-04-10). "Bride Who Faked Cancer to Score Dream Wedding, Honeymoon Is Charged". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2012-06-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20120623003806/http://abcnews.go.com/US/york-bride-faked-cancer-score-dream-wedding-honeymoon/story?id=16108726#.T894grBfGf4. Retrieved 2013-06-08. "A generous New York bridal shop owner never questioned the heartbreaking story of a woman who claimed to have cancer and wanted to marry before she died. The bride's story opened the hearts and wallets of her community who donated thousands of dollars to pay for her wedding and honeymoon." 
  47. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13973768/ns/dateline_nbc/t/faking-cancer-donations-sympathy/#.UJM3YFJohkg
  48. 48.0 48.1 Timothy Stenovec (2011-12-11). "Martha Nicholas, 42, Arrested After Allegedly Faking Cancer To Raise Money (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/11/martha-nicholas-fake-cancer-arrested_n_1142187.html. Retrieved 2012-06-10. ""Our investigation revealed no evidence of any cancer treatment at any medical facility that had been publicly identified by Martha Nicholas during her many public appearances and testimonials," said Capt. Michael J. Trice of the timothy StenovecCounty Sheriff's Office, according to the Mechanicsville Local." 
  49. "‘Fake’ cancer victim’s husband: ‘She’s not an evil woman’". CBS. 2011-12-11. http://wtvr.com/2013/04/22/fake-cancer-victim-faces-sentencing-monday/. Retrieved 2013-6-11. 
  50. 50.0 50.1 Bill McKelway (2013-01-12). "Woman's plea deal refused in fake cancer case". Times Dispatch. http://www.timesdispatch.com/archive/woman-s-plea-deal-refused-in-fake-cancer-case/article_cb71d03c-a16e-57c5-9faa-d652d81df76b.html. Retrieved 2013-06-14. "But Laney refused to go along, saying that the nature of the solicitation, Nicholas' acknowledgment of guilt, and the potential impact on the credibility of charitable causes was at stake if a more severe punishment was not imposed." 
  51. Sarah Bloom (2013-01-11). "Judge says "No Deal" to woman accused of faking cancer". KCBD. http://www.kcbd.com/story/16500619/judge-says-no-deal-to-woman-accused-of-faking-cancer. Retrieved 2013-06-14. "In an unexpected turn, the judge denied the proposed plea deal --saying he couldn't accept it when it didn't involve any jail time for this type of offense. He went on to say that accepting it would undermine faith in charitable institutions." 
  52. "Hanover Woman Found Guilty Of Faking Cancer". WRIC. 2013-05-22. http://www.wric.com/story/22401363/hanover-cancer-faker. Retrieved 2013-06-14. "Nicholas received nearly $22,000 in Medicaid assistance and was also receiving SNAP benefits. She has paid back the more than $4,700 in donations from selling Cancer Sucks t-shirts." 
  53. "Prostovoljci zanjo zbirajo 17.000€, zdaj se je izkazalo, da jim je mesece nesramno lagala! [Volunteers collected € 17,000 for it, and now it turned out that they had lied shamelessly months!]" (in Slovenian). Portal Cekin. 2011-12-13. Archived from the original on 2013-06-14. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcekin.si%2Fclanek%2Fza_dom_in_druzino%2Fprostovoljci-zanjo-zbirajo-17-000-zdaj-se-je-izkazalo-da-jim-je-mesece-nesramno-lagala.html&date=2013-06-14. Retrieved 2013-06-14. "Američanka Martha Nicholas je namreč trdila, da ima raka jajčnikov v četrtem stadiju, njena smrt naj bi bila zato le še vprašanje časa." 
  54. Sheila Ring (2011-12-12). "Martha Nicholas Arrested For Faking Cancer To Raise Money". Third Age. http://www.thirdage.com/news/martha-nicholas-arrested-for-faking-cancer-to-raise-money_12-12-2011. Retrieved 2013-06-14. "Several fundraisers were held to supposedly fund Nicholas’ treatment. In one interview from a Relay for Life event last summer, she told a WRIC-8 reporter that she raised over $10,000 selling necklaces and "Cancer Sucks" t-shirts." 
  55. "Mother of Two Rakes in Thousands of Dollars in Donations After Faking Cancer Diagnosis" (in English). KSEE. 2011-12-09. http://www.ksee24.com/news/Mother-of-Two-Rakes-in-Thousands-of-Dollars-in-Donations-After-Faking-Cancer-Diagnosis-135333068.html. Retrieved 2013-05. "Friends who helped Nicholas reacted with shock and anger following her arrest for obtaining money under false pretenses." 
  56. Jerrita Patterson (2013-01-08). "‘Fake’ cancer victim faces 40 years in prison". WTVR. http://wtvr.com/2013/01/08/fake-cancer-victim-facing-felony-charges/. Retrieved 2013-06-14. "The case made national headlines after investigators said the mother of two played on the sympathy of others in order to raise money by claiming she was again on her death-bed suffering from cancer–after beating it three previous times." 
  57. "Timmins woman accused of faking cancer to get money". Timmins Times. 2010-11-07. Archived from the original on 2010-11-07. http://www.timminstimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2833769#. "The story is similar to that of Ashley Anne Kirilow, a Southern Ontario woman who earlier this year admitted to police she faked cancer symptoms and collected more than $7,000 from sympathetic friends and supporters. The case shocked and upset many people, especially those with friends and family members truly struggling with cancer." 
  58. "Second woman accused of faking cancer for money". Toronto Sun. 2010-11-07. Archived from the original on 2010-11-07. http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/11/07/16016236.html. "In August another Ontario woman was caught scamming hundreds of people out of a total of $7,400 by pretending to have cancer. Twenty-three-year-old Ashley Anne Kirilow from Burlington pled guilty to one count of fraud over $5,000 last week." 
  59. "Second Ontario woman alleged to have faked cancer". CTV News. 2010-11-06. Archived from the original on 2010-11-07. http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101106/fake-cancer-101106/20101106/?hub=TorontoNewHome. "The arrest comes days after Ashley Kirilow, of Burlington, admitted in court that she faked terminal cancer and kept thousands of dollars from sympathetic donors." 
  60. Tobi Cohen (2010-11-06). "Second Ont. woman accused of faking cancer for the money". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2010-11-07. http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Second+woman+accused+faking+cancer+money/3789127/story.html. "Days after a woman admitted in court that she faked cancer to play on the sympathies of those around her and cheat them out of their money, police in Ontario are accusing yet another young woman of the running the same scam." 
  61. "Timmins, Ont., woman pleads guilty for fraud after faking cancer". Kingston Whig. 2010-11-09. http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2837832. Retrieved 2012-06-09. "A northern Ontario woman who claimed to have cancer and collected fundraising money for treatment has pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000." 
  62. Ayinde O. Chase (2010-08-21). "Police: Central N.Y. Woman Faked Cancer As Money-Making Scam". All Headline News. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7019658149. Retrieved 2010-08-27. "Corcoran, the recipient of thousands of dollars from a July 25 benefit held at Damon’s Banquet Hall in Cicero, reportedly broke down under questioning and confessed to faking being cancer stricken."  mirror
  63. 63.0 63.1 63.2 63.3 63.4 63.5 63.6 63.7 Candace Sutton (2013-07-03). "Twitter war erupts as cancer victim's identity is stolen". Perth, Australia: Perth Now. Archived from the original on 2013-07-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.perthnow.com.au%2Ftechnology%2Ftwitter-war-erupts-as-cancer-victim8217s-identity-is-stolen%2Fstory-fnhod56e-1226673683157&date=2013-07-04. Retrieved 2013-07-04. 
  64. 64.0 64.1 Alex Matthews (2016-02-12). "Conwoman faked ovarian cancer to scam £14,000 out of her boyfriend so she could get plastic surgery". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3443759/Conwoman-faked-ovarian-cancer-scam-14-000-boyfriend-plastic-surgery.html. Retrieved 2016-02-12. "Judge Philip St John-Stevens told her: 'It is clear, having developed the relationship with the individual concerned, you acted in a thoroughly dishonest, manipulative and callous way and preyed on his goodwill with an untruthful story about your health."