HARLEYSVILLE, PA — A former Montgomery County resident who authorities said made thousands of dollars fundraising off a fake cancer diagnosis has landed on the FBI's most wanted fugitives list.
Vanessa O’Rourke, 37, previously of Harleysville, has been wanted since 2018.
O'Rourke told family and friends that she had a terminal form of brain cancer, glioblastoma, and convinced them to provide her with enormous sums for treatment, the FBI said.
O'Rourke also claimed she needed to travel to Australia for experimental treatment. The FBI said she used their donations to travel there, but "she engaged in a variety of leisure activities and did not receive any medical treatment."
When she returned in April 2016, she had acquaintances organize further in-person fundraisers, including a benefit at Whitpain Tavern in Blue Bell where participants paid $20 a ticket, police said.
She used that money for another trip to Australia months later, the FBI said.
In addition to the fundraisers, a GoFundMe campaign raised additional thousands, authorities said. More than 140 donated a total of $11,470 to the cause, an indictment filed in federal court claims. That page remained operational through July 2016.
Queensland, Australia is her last known residence.
O'Rourke is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and was 170 pounds when she was last seen.
If you have any information, contact a local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
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