Vanessa O’Rourke, formerly of Harleysville, is on the FBI’s most wanted list after allegedly defrauding donors out of about $100,000 with a fake brain cancer diagnosis.
According to the FBI’s announcement, she traveled to Australia for experimental treatment after fraudulently sharing that she had been diagnosed with a terminal form of glioblastoma. As of 2020, she was believed to reside in Queensland, Australia.
She organized in-person fundraisers, including an event at Whitpain Tavern in Blue Bell, and raised over $11,470 from more than 140 donors through a GoFundMe campaign.
She was indicted on 15 counts of wire fraud in 2018 and a federal warrant was issued for her arrest.
From the announcement:
Between October of 2015 and July of 2016, O’Rourke further represented to family and friends that she needed to travel to Australia to participate in an experimental treatment for her purported cancer. Through her false and fraudulent pretenses, her family and others provided money and support. In or around April of 2016, O’Rourke traveled to Australia, where she engaged in a variety of leisure activities and did not receive any medical treatment. Upon her return to the United States, O’Rourke enlisted her friends and family to organize two fundraisers on her behalf. A webpage was established and a benefit event held at a local restaurant in Pennsylvania, both resulting in numerous people providing donations for her purported cancer treatment. O’Rourke utilized those funds to travel to Australia again in or around 2016, where she again engaged in various leisure activities and received no medical treatment for her nonexistent illness.
Investigators are offering $25,000 for information leading to her arrest. Anyone with information should contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate. O’Rourke has also used aliases Vanessa Gulinello and Cecila Vincent Gaeta Lazaro.
More details below:
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