A Pennsylvania woman accused of faking a terminal brain cancer diagnosis to scam family and friends out of thousands of dollars remains wanted years after being indicted on federal fraud charges, authorities said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is searching for Vanessa O’Rourke, who investigators said falsely claimed she was suffering from a terminal form of brain cancer and needed financial help for medical treatments, living expenses, and experimental care in Australia.
According to federal authorities, O’Rourke allegedly convinced relatives, friends and supporters to send her money by portraying herself as gravely ill and in urgent need of assistance.
“In May of 2018, O’Rourke was indicted on 15 counts of wire fraud in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and a federal warrant was issued for her arrest,” the FBI said on Saturday.
The indictment alleged that O’Rourke falsely represented that she had glioblastoma from approximately October 2015 through July 2016, with more than 140 people donating nearly $12,000 to her GoFundMe campaign.
The FBI continues to list O’Rourke on its wanted notices and said the investigation remains active.
The agency urged anyone who has information about O’Rourke or her whereabouts to contact the FBI.
