{"id":3217,"date":"2026-06-01T17:31:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:31:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217"},"modified":"2026-06-01T17:31:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:31:18","slug":"fbi-hunts-most-wanted-neighbor-next-door-who-allegedly-faked-cancer-scammed-loved-ones-for-luxury-getaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217","title":{"rendered":"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Pennsylvania<\/u> woman accused of faking terminal brain cancer to scam friends, family members and supporters out of thousands of dollars is among the FBI’s most wanted fugitives after authorities said she used the donations to fund luxury travel and vacations in Australia instead of medical treatment.<\/p>

Read more Texas could see its first big Saharan dust plume of the season this week<\/a><\/p>

The FBI said on May 23 that it is still hunting for Vanessa O\u2019Rourke, who has been on the run for years since she was indicted in 2018 for her suspected scheme.<\/p>

Authorities allege O’Rourke, now 37, spent months convincing loved ones she was dying from glioblastoma, an aggressive and often fatal form of brain cancer, while claiming she desperately needed money for treatment, daily living expenses and experimental medical care overseas.<\/p>

According to the FBI,<\/u> O\u2019Rourke told supporters that traditional treatment options had failed and that traveling to Australia for an experimental procedure represented her best chance at survival.<\/p>

WELLNESS INFLUENCER EXPOSED FOR FAKING CANCER DODGES AUTHORITIES A DECADE LATER: DOCUMENTARY<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

<\/div>
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

Investigators say Vanessa O\u2019Rourke falsely claimed she needed experimental treatment in Australia for terminal brain cancer. (FBI)<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

Friends and family members reportedly rallied around her, donating money and organizing fundraisers to help what they believed was a young woman battling a terminal illness. But authorities say the cancer diagnosis<\/u> was entirely fabricated.<\/p>

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

Investigators allege that between October 2015 and July 2016, O\u2019Rourke used false claims about her health to obtain financial support from people close to her. Prosecutors say supporters provided money directly to O\u2019Rourke and also helped organize fundraising<\/u> efforts to cover what they believed were mounting medical costs.<\/p>

FOLLOW US ON X<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

In April 2016, O\u2019Rourke traveled to Australia, allegedly telling loved ones she was receiving experimental treatment unavailable in the United States. Instead, according to federal authorities, she spent the trip engaging in sightseeing and recreational activities and received no medical treatment whatsoever.<\/p>

GOT A TIP?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

After returning to the United States, investigators say O\u2019Rourke continued the alleged scam by encouraging friends and family members to organize additional fundraising events on her behalf.<\/p>

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

Authorities say a donation webpage was launched online and a fundraising benefit was held at a Pennsylvania restaurant, where supporters gathered to raise money for what they believed was O\u2019Rourke\u2019s ongoing cancer battle.<\/p>

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

Federal prosecutors allege the money raised during those efforts was later used to fund another trip to Australia in 2016, where O\u2019Rourke again allegedly participated in leisure activities instead of receiving treatment for the illness investigators say never existed.<\/p>

Read more Kentucky social media settlement: Meta reportedly paying $27M to settle addiction case<\/a><\/p>

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

Federal authorities indicted Vanessa O\u2019Rourke on 15 counts of wire fraud in 2018. (FBI)<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

The alleged scheme eventually drew the attention of federal investigators.<\/p>

LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

On May 3, 2018, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted O\u2019Rourke on 15 counts of wire fraud. A federal warrant was issued for her arrest, and she remains wanted by the FBI.<\/p>

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

O\u2019Rourke\u2019s case is one of several high-profile “fake cancer” scams that have shocked communities in recent years, as fraudsters allegedly exploited sympathy, online fundraising platforms and emotional support networks for financial gain.<\/p>

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

Prosecutors allege O\u2019Rourke used false claims of terminal brain cancer to obtain money from friends and supporters. (FBI)<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

In recent years, several women across the United States and abroad have been accused or convicted of fabricating terminal illnesses while collecting money through fundraisers, crowdfunding pages and community events.<\/p>

One of the most notorious cases involved California woman Amanda Riley, the subject of the hit “Scamanda” podcast and ABC docuseries, who admitted to faking cancer for years while receiving more than $100,000 in donations from supporters.<\/p>

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

Like those cases, prosecutors allege O\u2019Rourke\u2019s scheme relied heavily on the trust and compassion of the people closest to her \u2014 friends, relatives and supporters who believed they were helping save someone\u2019s life.<\/p>

Authorities and fraud experts have warned that emotionally charged medical scams can be especially effective because they often target tight-knit communities eager to rally around someone they believe is fighting for survival.<\/p>

The FBI is asking anyone with information about O\u2019Rourke\u2019s whereabouts to contact law enforcement.<\/p>

Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News <\/u>with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.<\/p>

Read more New study reveals which states have the best economies<\/a><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Pennsylvania woman accused of faking terminal brain cancer to scam friends, family members and supporters out of thousands of dollars is among the FBI’s most wanted fugitives after authorities said she used the donations to fund luxury travel and vacations in Australia instead of medical treatment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,35,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-pennsylvania","category-u-s"],"yoast_head":"\nFBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways - Houston Moving Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Pennsylvania woman accused of faking terminal brain cancer to scam friends, family members and supporters out of thousands of dollars is among the FBI's most wanted fugitives after authorities said she used the donations to fund luxury travel and vacations in Australia instead of medical treatment.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Houston Moving Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-01T17:31:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6e04b2220a81531e70d60ac6e3d6c9e2.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"932\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"524\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba\"},\"headline\":\"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-01T17:31:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217\"},\"wordCount\":816,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f8c04dbfb562acf45a1a8f3d2bf79b86.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Crime and Public Safety\",\"Pennsylvania\",\"U.S.\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217\",\"name\":\"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways - Houston Moving Journal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f8c04dbfb562acf45a1a8f3d2bf79b86.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-01T17:31:18+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f8c04dbfb562acf45a1a8f3d2bf79b86.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f8c04dbfb562acf45a1a8f3d2bf79b86.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=3217#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Houston Moving Journal\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways - Houston Moving Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways - Houston Moving Journal","og_description":"A Pennsylvania woman accused of faking terminal brain cancer to scam friends, family members and supporters out of thousands of dollars is among the FBI's most wanted fugitives after authorities said she used the donations to fund luxury travel and vacations in Australia instead of medical treatment.","og_url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217","og_site_name":"Houston Moving Journal","article_published_time":"2026-06-01T17:31:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":932,"height":524,"url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6e04b2220a81531e70d60ac6e3d6c9e2.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba"},"headline":"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways","datePublished":"2026-06-01T17:31:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217"},"wordCount":816,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8c04dbfb562acf45a1a8f3d2bf79b86.webp","articleSection":["Crime and Public Safety","Pennsylvania","U.S."],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217","url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217","name":"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways - Houston Moving Journal","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8c04dbfb562acf45a1a8f3d2bf79b86.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-01T17:31:18+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8c04dbfb562acf45a1a8f3d2bf79b86.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8c04dbfb562acf45a1a8f3d2bf79b86.webp","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3217#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/","name":"Houston Moving Journal","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com"],"url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}