A mother who faked cancer in order to trick people into donating money to her allegedly spent a fortune on her lavish lifestyle.
42-year-old Nicole Elkabbass from Kent, UK, racked up nearly $60,000 in GoFundMe donations under the pretense she needed money to pay for her expensive cancer treatment.
While the court heard how the mother transferred the donated funds to her personal bank account before using the money on gambling, traveling, old debts, and football tickets, the defendant denied all allegations of fraud.
As Prosecutor Ben Irwin insisted, Elkabbass was not diagnosed with cancer prior to her alleged scheme that took place between February and August 2018. In addition, she allegedly never spent the money she received in the form of donations for its intended purpose – cancer treatment.
Instead, as the prosecutor claimed, the 42-year-old spent a small fortune on her lavish lifestyle consisting of travels, expensive restaurant visits, and online gambling.
“She didn’t use that money for cancer treatment. She didn’t need that money for cancer treatment,” Irwin said. “Ms Elkabbass instead used that money to gamble, pay old debts and fund her expensive lifestyle.”
As the court heard, the suspect also used an old picture, in which she is seen lying in a hospital bed, to deceive kind people into thinking she was sick. The photo “used to garner sympathy” was reportedly taken in 2017 when the mother had her gall bladder removed in a procedure that was paid for by her private health insurance provider.
Following the shameful act, Elkabbass has been charged with fraud and the possession of criminal property. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges. The trial is still ongoing.
Replaced!