Chapter 8
GOFRAUDME
CLAUDIA: Good morning, Fundies! Or whatever time of day it is that you’re listening to this. I’ve got my iced Americano and I’m ready to rock.
LEO: I’ve got my chocolate croissant from Sam James and I swear I’m going to have to set up a GoFundMe page to support my breakfast habit, because this pastry addiction is bankrupting me.
CLAUDIA: Life is pain, my friend! Pain au chocolat!
On this season of Filthy Funds, we’ve been looking at the various crimes that can be perpetrated using fundraising websites.
Last week we covered how crowdfunding can provide the perfect cover for sophisticated criminals to use stolen credit card data and launder money.
LEO: And this week we’re talking about several different types of fundraising scams . . . including one particular case that led to murder. It never ceases to amaze me how much work people will put into these frauds—like, maybe just get a job?
CLAUDIA: From made-up charities to fake funerals to appeals during natural disasters, there’s just no end to the “scampaigns.” Hey, since it’s late June, it’s actually fitting that our first topic today is cancer! Fake cancer, that is.
LEO: The first time I learned about a fake cancer scam—back when I was still an innocent babe in the woods, if you can imagine such a thing—I thought it was the craziest thing I’d ever heard. Like, who would do such a thing? As it turns out, so many people!
CLAUDIA: Fake bone cancer, fake breast cancer, fake leukemia, fake neuroblastoma, there’s no end to it.
There are people who will go to extremes to convince their friends, family, and community at large that they are very, very sick.
And then comes the deluge of online posts asking for money for experimental treatments, fancy wigs, child care costs, special trips—you name it.
Shout-out to the Scamanda podcast for doing an exposé on one of the wildest cancer scams.
LEO: Something that fascinates me about this topic is a new term I learned while researching for the episode: Munchausen by internet.
As the Fundies probably know—you crime-obsessed little ghouls—Munchausen syndrome is where someone lies about having personal ailments in order to get attention, and Munchausen by proxy is a sick form of child abuse where a parent essentially creates an illness or medical condition for their child.
CLAUDIA: Gotta interject with another quick reco here—go listen to the Nobody Should Believe Me podcast if you’re interested in Munchausen by proxy!
LEO: Munchausen by internet is like a specific subtype of Munchausen syndrome, where a person pretends to have an illness in an online forum. They’ll infiltrate support groups, medical chat rooms, and, most importantly for our purposes, fundraising websites.
CLAUDIA: When they get caught, there’s usually a frenzy of media interest, the person is ostracized, and sometimes there are even criminal charges.
But when the dust settles, this same person will often try their luck again a few years later.
They’ll move to a new city, snap a selfie of their shaved head with a tube coming out of their nose, and boom—they’re right back at it.
LEO: It’s totally shameless.
CLAUDIA: Speaking of shameless, let me quickly plug our merch before I forget! We restocked the online shop today—and no, this is not a scam. We’ve got a bunch of new T-shirt designs, Filthy Funds change purses, and even a “Keep It Clean” hand soap. So get into it!