A 36-year-old mother has admitted to lying to her friends, family, and well-wishers about having cancer for almost seven years to draw over $106,000 in donations.

Amanda Riley from Northern California could face up to 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine after she pleaded guilty to a federal charge of wire fraud, the US attorney’s office said.

She admitted that between September 2021 and January 2019, she received donations by claiming she battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

It was in October 2012 when she concocted her scheme and started documenting her fake illness on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

She also launched a blog titled ‘Lymphoma Can Suck It,’ federal prosecutors said.

Her blog featured a ‘donate now’ button for visitors to help her fight her illness and donate money online.

“She posted photos of medications, photos of herself at hospitals, and photos of herself allegedly suffering the side effects of chemotherapy,” the US attorney’s office said in a statement.

The con artist even shaved her head to make it seem like she had lost her hair because of the grueling treatment.

Riley acknowledged receiving over 400 donations, which she used for ‘personal expenses.’ She also received money from well-wishers via checks that were deposited into her bank account.

More donations came from CrossFit fundraiser, Chili’s Grill & Bar fundraiser, quilt raffle, Christmas ornament sale, a Facebook challenge, calendar sales, and eBay auctions of different items.

But in reality, Riley never had Hodgkin’s lymphoma or any type of cancer.

“When people donated to Riley over the internet or at in-person fundraisers, they believed their donations would be used to pay Riley’s cancer-related expenses,” the statement continued.

“In fact, Riley had no cancer-related expenses, and donors’ funds were simply deposited into Riley’s personal bank account.”

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