A mom who faked cancer to steal $100K from strangers is now facing backlash, with victims speaking out about the injustice.
Amanda Christine Riley was sentenced to five years for faking cancer and stealing over $100,000 from strangers.
This scam lasted more than a decade and has left many victims feeling betrayed and hurt.
39-year-old mom faked cancer to scam $100K in donations
Riley, 39, created an elaborate story about her health to gain sympathy and financial support.
She claimed to have Hodgkin’s lymphoma and even started a blog titled “Lymphoma Can Suck It.”
Through this blog, she shared her supposed cancer journey and solicited donations from people across the country.
In total, she received about $105,513 from more than 300 donors who believed her story.
The donations came not just from individuals but also from community members who wanted to help.
Many were touched by her tale and wanted to support her during what they thought was a difficult time.
Riley was an active member of her church, and her alleged diagnosis shocked those around her.
The impact on victims
Victims of Riley’s scam are now speaking out about their experiences.
They feel misled and hurt by someone they tried to help.
Many of them shared their feelings of anger and betrayal, saying, “This isn’t right.”
One former friend, Lisa Berry, became suspicious of Riley’s claims when she noticed inconsistencies in her story.
For example, Riley posted photos of herself swimming shortly after she claimed to have undergone a procedure to drain fluid from her brain.
Berry began to question the truth behind Riley’s blog and decided to investigate further.
“At some point, I started reading her blog. She’s posting pictures and I just was surprised seeing all the attention that she’s getting for it.”
“There was just something inside of me just saying this isn’t right.”
“I knew that wasn’t right,” Berry said. “And I start going through my mind and thinking about all the stories she told me.”
Investigation revealed inconsistencies in Riley’s claims.
Berry’s concerns led her to contact an investigative producer named Nancy Moscatiello, who was looking into scam stories for a new television show.
Berry shared her doubts about Riley, which prompted Moscatiello to dig deeper.
She took Riley’s claims to various hospitals, where she discovered inconsistencies in Riley’s medical history.
In 2020, Riley was charged with wire fraud.
She eventually pleaded guilty to the charges, admitting that she had never received the treatments she claimed to need.
The investigation revealed that she had manipulated her friends, family, and community for years.
The mom sentenced to 5 years in prison for faking cancer to scam $100K in donations
In early 2022, Amanda Riley was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
During her time in custody, she visited the emergency room multiple times, claiming various health issues.
However, medical professionals noted that she often tried to exaggerate her symptoms.
According to court documents, healthcare workers caught her attempting to manipulate test results to appear sicker than she was.
Officials suspect she may have Münchausen syndrome, a disorder where individuals feign illness for attention.
“I know some of her friends in the medical field have beaten themselves up after hearing the podcast and feel terrible they didn’t suspect anything,” Moscatiello explained.
“Some weren’t reading the blog because they were seeing her all the time and getting direct updates — so they didn’t see some of the more ridiculous claims she was making about treatment to the public.”