The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking for a Pennsylvania woman who has been accused of faking a terminal brain cancer diagnosis in order to scam her family and friends out of thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n
The FBI took to Facebook<\/a> on Saturday, May 23, to say that they\u2019re searching for Vanessa O\u2019Rourke. Investigators believe she falsely claimed she was suffering from a terminal form of brain cancer and she scammed her loved ones by claiming she needed financial help to pay for medical treatments, living expenses and experimental care in Australia.<\/p>\n O\u2019Rourke, 37, allegedly convinced her relatives, friends and other supporters to send her money by claiming she was gravely ill and was in urgent need of help.<\/p>\n She was previously indicted in May 2018 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 at the time, according to the FBI.<\/p>\n FBI Reveals Initial Deadline for Ransom Note in Savannah Guthrie\u2019s Mom Nancy Guthrie\u2019s Abduction Is Today<\/a><\/p>\n The indictment claimed that O’Rourke falsely represented that she had glioblastoma between October 2015 and July 2016. She allegedly scammed 140 people, who donated nearly $12,000 to her GoFundMe campaign.<\/p>\n O\u2019Rourke has also been accused of traveling to Australia, but never receiving the cancer treatment she claimed to be there for. Instead, she allegedly used the donated money to pay for her personal expenses.<\/p>\n The FBI added that the investigation into O’Rourke\u2019s crimes remains active and she will remain on its wanted notices.<\/p>\n The search for O\u2019Rourke has been a long journey, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania previously issued a statement<\/a> about her crimes in September 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cThe allegations in this case are nauseating,\u201d former U.S. Attorney William McSwain said at the time. \u201cO’Rourke is charged with preying upon the kindness and generosity of good people who wished to help those in need. As alleged, there was no need here \u2013 only lies, greed and callous manipulation.\u201d<\/p>\n Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division Michael J. Driscoll added, \u201cMisleading people about a significant medical diagnosis in order to take advantage of their kind hearts and open wallets is reprehensible.”<\/p>\n