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On Monday, January 23, 19-year-old Bettendorf woman Madison Russo was arrested for allegedly receiving over $37,000 on GoFundMe after falsely leading donors to believe she had cancer.
WQAD reported that Madison Russo claimed to have Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Stage 2 Pancreatic Cancer. She also told donors that she had a tumor wrapped around her spine.
According to KWQC, Madison Russo's purported GoFundMe scandal was uncovered after GoFundMe users with medical experience noted medical discrepancies in the pictures the suspect posted of her 'disease' across social media platforms. Authorities reported that she received $37,303 from approximately 439 donors.
As a result of the accusations, Madison Russo has been charged with theft by means of deception. On Monday, shortly after her arrest, she was released from Scott County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
How long was Madison Russo allegedly running the scam?
As per HITC, Russo has been claiming to be a victim of stage 2 cancer for nearly a year. The first record of the fraud appeared in a July 2022 Facebook Post on the National Pancreas Foundation Page, when she told audiences about her supposed cancer journey. On October 18, 2022, local outlet North Scott Press Newspaper also featured a story about the experiences Russo claimed to have as a cancer victim.
Eldridge Police Officer Garret Jahns filed an affidavit outlining the details of the scam Russo was accused of. Authorities claimed that to collect money for her ruse, Russo had given several talks at universities and other institutions.
The affidavit read:
“Madison Russo has taken money and donations from over 439 donors, donors to include, businesses, national and local cancer foundations, school districts, colleges, and private citizens."
It continued:
Madison Russo has created/authored numerous social media posts talking about her cancers and has been a guest speaker for the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, Project Purple, The Ohl Foundation and St. Ambrose University under the false pretenses that she has been diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer."
The Ol Strong Foundation, a group that had provided support to Russo, addressed the allegations against her. The organization's statement read:
“The Dr. Brent Ohl Pancreatic Cancer Support and Awareness Team is saddened to hear that one of our recipients in 2022 has been charged with fraudulently accepting assistance from our fund. Our goal has been, and continues to be, to provide financial support to 100% of the pancreatic cancer patients in our community.”
GoFundMe also condemned Russo's actions. The website's statement read:
"GoFundMe has a zero-tolerance policy for misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing. GoFundMe’s Giving Guarantee offers donors a full refund in the rare case when something isn’t right."
Russo's arraignment is scheduled for February 23.
