A Pennsylvania woman, accused of fraudulently claiming she had terminal brain cancer to swindle thousands of dollars from friends, family, and supporters, has been added to the FBI’s most wanted list. Authorities allege she used the funds to finance lavish vacations in Australia rather than for medical treatment.
On May 23, the FBI announced its ongoing search for Vanessa O’Rourke, who has evaded capture since her indictment in 2018. She is accused of orchestrating a deceptive scheme to exploit the generosity of those close to her.
O’Rourke, now 37, allegedly spent months persuading her loved ones that she was suffering from glioblastoma, a severe and often deadly brain cancer. She claimed she urgently needed financial support for treatment, daily expenses, and experimental medical procedures in Australia.
The FBI reports that O’Rourke told her supporters conventional treatments had failed, and that an experimental procedure abroad was her only hope for survival.
Moved by her plight, friends and family reportedly banded together, donating funds and organizing fundraising events for what they thought was a young woman facing a terminal diagnosis. However, authorities assert that her cancer diagnosis was entirely fabricated.
Investigators allege that between October 2015 and July 2016, O’Rourke used her deceitful health claims to secure financial assistance from those around her. Prosecutors assert that not only did supporters provide her with direct financial aid, but they also orchestrated fundraising activities, believing they were covering escalating medical expenses.
In April 2016, O’Rourke 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 O’Rourke 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 O’Rourke’s ongoing cancer battle.
Federal prosecutors allege the money raised during those efforts was later used to fund another trip to Australia in 2016, where O’Rourke 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.
On May 3, 2018, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted O’Rourke on 15 counts of wire fraud. A federal warrant was issued for her arrest, and she remains wanted by the FBI.
O’Rourke’s 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 O’Rourke’s scheme relied heavily on the trust and compassion of the people closest to her — friends, relatives and supporters who believed they were helping save someone’s life.
Authorities and fraud experts have warned that emotionally charged medical scams can be especially effective because they often target tight-knit communities eager to rally around someone they believe is fighting for survival.
The FBI is asking anyone with information about O’Rourke’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement.
