Australian fakes cancer to raise funds
An Australian woman has been found guilty of fraud after she unduly collected nearly 35,000 euros for a treatment for what she called cancer. Lucy Wieland, 27, had launched a fundraising campaign via a dedicated platform in order, she claimed, to finance her treatment for the disease. The Australian had appealed for donations to help her fight ovarian cancer.
On her Instagram account, Lucy Wieland had staged her story by posing with a respiratory mask in a hospital bed, surrounded by medical equipment.
The investigation showed that she did not suffer from cancer and that she was only seeking to raise funds fraudulently. She was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.
Some residents of her hometown of Townsville realized the scam after too many posts on social media and alerted the police, who discovered the deception after a thorough investigation.
"The real victims here are the people in the community who were touched by her story and tried to help her," Inspector Chris Lawson said after Lucy Wieland was found guilty of fraud.
(LM with RS/Picture: Pixabay)
On her Instagram account, Lucy Wieland had staged her story by posing with a respiratory mask in a hospital bed, surrounded by medical equipment.
The investigation showed that she did not suffer from cancer and that she was only seeking to raise funds fraudulently. She was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.
Some residents of her hometown of Townsville realized the scam after too many posts on social media and alerted the police, who discovered the deception after a thorough investigation.
"The real victims here are the people in the community who were touched by her story and tried to help her," Inspector Chris Lawson said after Lucy Wieland was found guilty of fraud.
(LM with RS/Picture: Pixabay)
