TikToker Who Raised $37000 In Fake Cancer Scheme Pleads Guilty To Theft: In a court hearing on Wednesday, 20-year-old Madison Russo, a TikToker, admitted to committing first-degree theft. According to court documents obtained by HuffPost, Russo pleaded guilty in Iowa’s Scott County District Court for her involvement in a fraudulent scheme.
She deceived online donors by falsely claiming to have stage 2 pancreatic cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and a massive tumor that encircled her spine, managing to solicit more than $37,000.
Madison Russo, who was 19 years old and studying at St. Ambrose University in Davenport at the time, was arrested on January 23, according to the complaint. The arrest followed an anonymous tip received by the Eldridge Police Department, pointing out inconsistencies in Russo’s medical claims displayed on her social media profiles.
Initially, Russo pleaded not guilty in February, as reported by local outlet OurQuadCities.com.
Although Russo’s TikTok account has been deleted since then, videos reposted on other platforms revealed that she had been sharing personal and detailed accounts of her alleged experiences with chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
According to the complaint, the police discovered that Russo had been taking photos from legitimate cancer patients’ social media accounts and passing them off as her own.
Russo’s arrest affidavit revealed that she had received money from over 439 donors, including businesses, schools, colleges, charities, and individuals, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars by the time of her arrest.
Apart from her online presence, Russo gave interviews about her fabricated illness and even spoke as a guest for St. Ambrose University and cancer-focused organizations such as the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, Project Purple, and the Ohl Foundation. However, the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation clarified to HuffPost that Russo had no affiliation with their organization.
In a previous interview with Iowa’s North Scott Press, Russo claimed she had been diagnosed with cancer in February 2022 after experiencing various symptoms. She expressed a hopeful attitude, stating that staying positive was crucial for healing.
However, the arrest affidavit revealed that Russo’s medical records indicated no diagnosis of cancer or tumors.
Russo’s attorney did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Following her arrest, Russo’s GoFundMe page, where she collected online donations, was removed, as reported by WQAD News 8.
A spokesperson for GoFundMe stated that they have a “zero tolerance” policy for misuse of their platform and take prompt action against those who exploit their community’s generosity. All donors who contributed to Russo’s fundraiser were fully refunded, and she has been permanently banned from creating future fundraisers on the platform, according to the spokesperson.
Under Iowa state law, Russo could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison when she is sentenced at a later date.
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