A Pennsylvania woman was busted for using a phony cancer diagnosis to scam donors out of thousands of dollars after her husband tipped off authorities to the scheme, officials said.
Jessica Cornell Smith, 32, of Uwchlan Township was arrested Monday after her spouse told authorities his wife was lying about her cancer to raise more than $10,000 in donations for her supposed medical bills, news station WCAU reported.
“This is a disturbing situation where she preyed upon the good nature of other people,” Chester County’s First Assistant Attorney Michael Noone told news station KYW-TV.
Prosecutors said Smith claimed to be suffering from a rare form of colon cancer on a GoFundMe page and Facebook fundraiser, where she sought donations to cover medical bills, travel costs and child care.
“She was very vague about her diagnosis and treatment and really suggestive photos, like a selfie on the bathroom floor, ‘about to give up on life but also please donate to my GoFundMe,'” Smith’s friend Terri Coleman told WCAU.
Smith also allegedly pretended to be a nurse with a local medical center to tell her employers that she needed time off work for her treatment. In a separate episode, she lied about her father’s death to request another day off from her job, officials said.
“She took advantage of other people’s generosity by lying about having cancer,” Noone told KYW-TV. “She also lied about her own father’s death to get another day off from work.”
Smith’s husband also told authorities in July that she didn’t have cancer and was covered under his employer’s medical insurance. He brought documentation to show that his insurance didn’t reach the $1,250 medical deductible, officials said.
Police interviewed Smith, who showed them several documents that claimed she was receiving chemotherapy treatment and had part of her colon removed. But further investigation determined that she had undergone neither procedure, officials said.
On Monday, Smith appeared in court on charges of theft by deception-false impression and receiving stolen property. She was released on bail and set to return to court on Nov. 12.
A spokesperson for GoFundMe said they’re cooperating with law enforcement to return the money from Smith’s fundraiser, WCAU reported.
A Facebook spokesperson said the fundraiser was removed for violating the site’s terms and refunds will be issued.
“Based on the current investigation we believe that this fundraiser violated our terms,” the spokesperson said. “The fundraiser is now removed, and is no longer visible to anyone on Facebook, including the person who created it. Refunds will be processed for all donors, and they will receive a notification when the refund is issues. People can also check their payment history for confirmation of the refund.”