Maddie Russo’s shocking cancer scam

Imagine scrolling through TikTok and stumbling upon the story of a bright, ambitious 19-year-old fighting for her life against not one but two devastating cancers. Her posts are raw, emotional, and inspiring—a young woman battling against impossible odds while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, interning at her dream job, and advocating for others. She shares tearful updates about her treatments, heartfelt reflections on life’s fragility, and her unwavering determination to “fight like hell” for survival. Her courage moves you to tears, and without hesitation, you donate to help cover her mounting medical bills.

 But what if every word, every tear, every heartfelt plea for help was a lie? What if this beacon of hope for cancer patients worldwide was manipulating thousands of people for attention, sympathy, and financial gain?

From stolen photos to falsified medical details, this is the story of Maddie Russo, a college student whose elaborate deception unraveled in a shocking tale of manipulation, betrayal, and the devastating consequences of misplaced trust. 

Maddison “Maddie” Russo grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa, a quiet city nestled along the Mississippi River. Known for its small-town charm, Bettendorf fostered a tight-knit community where everyone knew each other—or at least thought they did. Maddie was a recent graduate of North Scott High School and a current student at St. Ambrose University in nearby Davenport. At just 19 years old, she was described by acquaintances as friendly and driven, with a seemingly bright future ahead of her. However, behind her outward persona lay a growing obsession with online fame and sympathy that would lead her down a dark and deceitful path.

 From a young age, Maddie appeared to embrace the spotlight. Classmates recall her as someone who enjoyed attention and had a knack for storytelling. By the time she enrolled at St. Ambrose, she had taken her talents to social media. Maddie’s TikTok account initially featured content typical of a college student—lighthearted videos, lip-sync challenges, and snippets of her daily life. Her following was modest but growing. However, things changed dramatically in February 2022, when she posted a video announcing she had been diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer.

Maddie’s announcement was heartbreaking. She described receiving the life-altering diagnosis during a phone call from the Iowa City oncology department while sitting in her accounting class. According to her, the doctors told her “they found a mass on my pancreas and that I had Stage 2 pancreatic cancer. I was terrified and definitely still am. I was in shock. I didn’t think it could be true. I’m so young and I wondered how this could happen. I went through all the emotions and I was pretty numb.”  She added that the doctors gave her only an 11% chance of surviving the next five years. In emotional TikTok posts, she recounted how she returned to class after the call, determined to carry on despite the devastating news.

This revelation shocked her family, friends, and flourishing online audience. Over the following weeks, Maddie shared increasingly personal details about her battle with cancer. She spoke about undergoing rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, describing the physical and emotional toll they took on her. Her followers admired her strength, applauding her ability to maintain a 4.0 GPA while grappling with such a severe illness.

 On TikTok, Maddie carefully curated an image of resilience and positivity. Her posts featured clips of her smiling through supposed treatments, sharing advice about staying strong, and encouraging others to cherish every moment of life. Her account quickly gained traction, with many cancer patients and survivors finding solace and inspiration in her story. She became a beacon of hope for those facing similar battles... but she also made some people who were battling similar illnesses feel badly about themselves because she was frequently boasting about how she maintained her regular life with school, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and golfing and going on runs.

Beyond sharing her journey, Maddie soon began leveraging her story for financial support to help cover her 15 rounds of oral chemotherapy and 90 rounds of radiation. 

 In March 2022, she launched a GoFundMe campaign, titled “Help Maddie Beat Cancer,” to cover the mounting costs of her medical treatments. The GoFundMe read, “On February 10th, 2022, Maddie Russo found out she has Pancreatic Cancer and has been going to battle ever since to win this war. Maddie is currently undergoing vigorous chemotherapy and radiation treatments that make her very sick but just like the Maddie we all know, she never gives up and is a fighter. As one can imagine, the cost of medical bills, gas, meals, and expenses can be a burden and that is something this family should not have to worry about. If you are able to, donations would be greatly appreciated to help cover the medical expenses and to allow Maddie to focus on one thing only, which is to show that she is stronger than cancer and will beat this.” 

The campaign struck a chord, raising over $37,000 from 439 donors. Many contributors were strangers moved by her story, while others were friends and local community members who wanted to help. 

Her local community rallied around her as well. St. Ambrose University invited Maddie to speak about her experience during campus events, and various organizations offered support. Maddie even partnered with nonprofits like Project Purple and the Nikki Mitchell Foundation, which worked to support cancer patients. These organizations provided her with financial aid, resources, and platforms to share her “journey.” 

Despite the widespread support, early signs of doubt began to emerge. Medical professionals who came across Maddie’s TikTok videos noticed glaring inconsistencies. In one video, her feeding tube appeared misplaced, while in another, her chemotherapy port was positioned incorrectly—mistakes that anyone undergoing real treatment would likely avoid. Her glowing appearance and full, healthy hair further fueled skepticism, as these were uncharacteristic of someone enduring intensive chemotherapy and radiation.

Some followers began asking questions. How was Maddie maintaining her grades, golfing, and interning while supposedly battling such an aggressive disease? Why did she show no physical signs of illness? Maddie brushed off these concerns, attributing her strength to a positive mindset and supplements like biotin, which she claimed helped her retain her hair during chemotherapy....

These doubts eventually reached a tipping point, sparking an investigation that would unravel Maddie’s web of lies.

By late 2022, Maddie Russo’s story had reached thousands of people, tugging at heartstrings both online and in her local community. Her tale of battling stage 2 pancreatic cancer, which she claimed had spread to her blood and formed a football-sized tumor wrapped around her spine, seemed almost too devastating to be true. As it turned out, it was. Maddie’s meticulous web of lies began to unravel as inconsistencies in her story became impossible to ignore.

The first significant doubts about Maddie’s story came from her own TikTok videos. Medical professionals, cancer survivors, and even laypeople noticed that her medical equipment didn’t look quite right. For example, Maddie often appeared in videos with an improperly placed feeding tube. In one image, the tube wasn’t primed—a critical step for anyone relying on a feeding tube for nutrition. Her supposed chemotherapy port was another glaring issue, as its positioning didn’t align with standard medical practices.

Moreover, Maddie’s physical appearance raised serious questions. Despite claiming to have endured months of chemotherapy and radiation—treatments known for their debilitating side effects—Maddie looked remarkably healthy. Her hair remained thick, shiny, and long, which she attributed to taking biotin supplements. While not everyone undergoing chemotherapy loses their hair, Maddie’s explanation struck many as implausible, especially given the severity of the treatments she claimed to be receiving. Her complexion and energy levels also seemed inconsistent with someone undergoing such aggressive cancer therapies.

Beyond her physical appearance, Maddie’s claims about her treatment schedule were equally dubious. She stated that she had undergone 15 rounds of oral chemotherapy and 90 rounds of radiation in just a few months, an extremely unlikely regimen for even the most advanced cases of cancer. These contradictions caught the attention of medical professionals who began analyzing her videos in detail, pointing out inaccuracies online and raising questions in their professional networks.

Maddie’s story continued to spiral as she layered more dramatic details into her narrative. Just months after her initial diagnosis, she announced that the cancer had spread to her blood, leading to a secondary diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She also claimed that her treatments had caused severe damage to her liver, requiring additional medications and for her to stop the cancer treatments to focus on her liver.... Adding to her litany of ailments, Maddie described the discovery of a football-sized tumor wrapped around her spine—a claim that stretched the bounds of believability for even her most loyal supporters.

But that didn’t stop her from posting her journey...  

Despite these escalating claims, Maddie maintained a superhuman level of activity. On social media, she boasted about finishing the semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA, interning at John Deere, and enjoying rounds of golf. Her followers, many of whom were cancer patients themselves, began to feel inadequate, questioning why they couldn’t match Maddie’s seemingly boundless energy and resilience. These feelings of self-doubt would later be a source of anger and betrayal as the truth came to light.

As skepticism grew online, a group of concerned individuals decided to take action. On January 11, 2023, anonymous whistleblowers contacted the Eldridge Police Department, outlining the discrepancies they had observed in Maddie’s social media posts. They pointed out specific errors in her medical equipment, such as the feeding tube and chemotherapy port, and noted that her photos often appeared staged and were taken at home rather than in clinical settings.

The whistleblowers also raised concerns about Maddie’s financial activities. They questioned the legitimacy of her GoFundMe campaign, which had raised over $37,000 from 439 donors. These donations, combined with private gifts and nonprofit support, suggested that Maddie was profiting significantly from her fabricated story.

The Eldridge Police Department moved quickly, issuing subpoenas for Maddie’s medical records. What they found confirmed the whistleblowers’ suspicions: Maddie had never been diagnosed with cancer. There was no record of her undergoing any of the treatments she claimed, nor had she received care from the University of Iowa oncology department, where she said she was being treated.

On January 23, 2023, Maddie Russo was arrested on the campus of St. Ambrose University. She was charged with theft by means of deception, a felony offense, and booked into the Scott County Jail. Maddie spent four hours in custody before posting a $10,000 bail. While she awaited trial, her story—and her lies—became national news.

As investigators delved deeper, they uncovered the true scale of Maddie’s deceit. In addition to the $37,000 raised through GoFundMe, Maddie had received financial support from numerous other sources. Nonprofit organizations like Project Purple and the Nikki Mitchell Foundation, both dedicated to supporting real cancer patients, had offered Maddie funds, resources, and platforms to share her “journey.” The Ohl Strong Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, run by a family friend who had lost her husband to the disease, provided Maddie with emotional guidance and a $500 gift card—resources that could have gone to someone genuinely in need.

Maddie’s manipulation extended beyond financial gain. She accepted invitations to speak at events, including one hosted by St. Ambrose University, where she recounted her fabricated battle with cancer to students and faculty. She also appeared on Project Purple’s podcast, using the platform to inspire listeners with her supposed strength and perseverance. In a particularly cruel twist, Maddie stole images and details from real cancer patients to lend credibility to her story. One such victim, a young woman named Charly Erpelding, had genuinely battled cancer before passing away. Maddie not only mimicked Charlie’s story but also posted a tribute to her, falsely claiming they had been close friends.

Charly Erpelding with her parents, Tara and Andy.

Perhaps the most devastating aspect of Maddie’s fraud was its impact on real cancer patients and their families. Many of Maddie’s followers were individuals fighting their own battles with cancer who had looked to her for inspiration and hope. Discovering that her story was a lie left them feeling betrayed and emotionally devastated. Some even reported feeling inadequate, as Maddie’s false narrative had made their own struggles seem less valid or significant.

Adding insult to injury, Maddie’s actions damaged the credibility of legitimate fundraising campaigns. Her deception made people more skeptical of similar appeals, potentially depriving genuine cancer patients of the support they desperately needed.

Maddie Russo’s arrest on January 23, 2023, marked the beginning of a highly publicized legal journey. Charged with theft by means of deception—a Class C felony in Iowa—Maddie faced allegations of fraudulently obtaining over $37,000 through false claims of battling cancer. This offense carried the possibility of up to 10 years in prison, substantial fines, and a permanent stain on her record. The legal proceedings that followed were closely watched by her victims, nonprofit organizations, and the public at large, sparking widespread debate about justice and accountability.

Maddie’s first court appearance occurred shortly after her arrest. She arrived with her legal team, appearing visibly composed despite the gravity of the charges. As her lawyer entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf, Maddie avoided eye contact with the courtroom audience, which included victims, reporters, and concerned community members. The judge set bail at $10,000, which Maddie paid the same day, securing her release from Scott County Jail after only four hours in custody.

Public interest in the case surged as media outlets reported on the charges. Outside the courthouse, reporters gathered to capture reactions from donors and representatives of nonprofits who had been defrauded. Some expressed outrage at her release, arguing that her apparent lack of remorse warranted harsher treatment from the start.

The prosecution’s case against Maddie was built on overwhelming evidence. Subpoenaed medical records confirmed that she had never been diagnosed with cancer or received the treatments she claimed. Investigators compiled a detailed timeline of her fraudulent activities, including social media posts, fabricated medical details, and the GoFundMe campaign. They also documented the financial losses incurred by her victims, ranging from individual donors to large nonprofit organizations like Project Purple and the Nikki Mitchell Foundation.

Prosecutors emphasized the calculated nature of Maddie’s deception, describing how she crafted an intricate narrative to manipulate public sympathy and exploit vulnerabilities in online fundraising. Medical experts were prepared to testify about the glaring inaccuracies in her claims, from the placement of her feeding tubes to the implausible treatment regimen she described.

Despite the mounting evidence, Maddie’s defense team argued for leniency, citing her young age and lack of prior criminal history. They painted her as a misguided individual who had made a grave mistake rather than a hardened criminal.

By mid-2023, Maddie’s legal team negotiated a plea deal with the prosecution, likely to avoid the expense and uncertainty of a trial. On June 14, 2023, Maddie appeared in court to plead guilty to one count of first-degree theft. In exchange, the prosecution recommended a suspended prison sentence, probation, restitution, and community service. The decision to accept a plea deal sparked mixed reactions, with some victims feeling it was too lenient given the emotional and financial harm caused.

On October 20, 2023, Maddie appeared before Judge John Telleen for sentencing. The courtroom was packed with victims, nonprofit representatives, and members of the media. Maddie, dressed conservatively and appearing somber, addressed the court in a prepared statement. “I fully acknowledge what I did was wrong, and I’m incredibly sorry,” she said, her voice wavering. “If there was anything I could do to take it back, I would. The reality is, I can’t.”

Her attorney emphasized her young age and argued that Maddie had the potential for rehabilitation. However, the prosecution countered with a forceful argument that highlighted the intentional and prolonged nature of her deception. Victim impact statements, delivered by individuals and organizations alike, underscored the emotional devastation caused by her actions. Representatives from nonprofits described the harm Maddie’s lies inflicted not only on their organizations but on the real cancer patients they struggled to support.

Judge Telleen ultimately sentenced Maddie to a 10-year suspended prison sentence, meaning she would avoid incarceration if she adhered to the terms of her probation. These terms included three years of probation, 100 hours of community service, and restitution payments totaling $39,385.79. This sum included $36,089.07 to GoFundMe donors and $3,296.72 to individual victims and nonprofit organizations. She was also fined $1,370.

In his ruling, Judge Telleen stated that Maddie’s actions were not a momentary lapse in judgment but a deliberate and sustained fraud. He rejected the defense’s request for a deferred judgment, which would have wiped Maddie’s criminal record clean after completing her sentence. “The community deserves to know what you’ve done,” he said.

The sentencing ignited a firestorm of public opinion. On one side, critics argued that the punishment was far too lenient, particularly given the scope of Maddie’s deception and the emotional harm inflicted on her victims. Online forums and social media were flooded with comments from cancer patients, donors, and activists, many of whom expressed frustration that Maddie had avoided prison time. “If she can lie on this scale and walk free, what message does that send to others who might try something similar?” one commenter wrote.

Others, however, supported the suspended sentence, citing her young age and the potential for rehabilitation. Some legal experts argued that probation, community service, and restitution were appropriate measures for a first-time offender, particularly one who had shown public remorse.

The court-ordered restitution payments provided some relief to Maddie’s victims. GoFundMe, in particular, refunded the $37,000 raised through its platform, ensuring that donors did not suffer financial losses. However, the emotional toll on victims was less easily addressed. Many cancer patients who had followed Maddie’s story described feelings of betrayal and anger, noting that her false narrative had undermined their trust in similar fundraising campaigns.

Nonprofit organizations also expressed lingering frustrations. Representatives from Project Purple and the Nikki Mitchell Foundation stated that Maddie’s fraud diverted critical resources from real cancer patients. The Ohl Strong Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, whose founder Peggy Ohl had provided Maddie with emotional and financial support, shared a heartfelt statement emphasizing the need for stricter vetting processes to prevent future cases of exploitation.