NSW mother-of-four’s fake cancer scam exposed
A mother-of-four is accused of faking three different types of cancer over several years in order to fleece thousands of dollars from fundraisers and donors.
NSW woman Melissa Quinn, 35, allegedly concocted several stories about suffering from inoperable brain cancer and needing to raise money to travel to California for lifesaving therapy.
Quinn, an accomplished cricketer who was the first female cricketer to win entry to Westfield Sports High, fooled the local cricket community into raising funds for her fake cancer.
Working as a cricket development officer in northern NSW, Cricket NSW gave her substantial monetary aid for her treatment and she even convinced former Australian captain Michael Clarke to donate a signed and framed shirt for a 2014 fundraiser.
Prior to the 2014 fundraisers she told her local paper The Northern Star she had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and only had two years left to live.
“I had cancer two-and-a- half years ago in the uterus, so it wasn't a huge surprise that it's come back,” she said in 2014.
“The Australian Medical Board is covering 90 per cent of my costs to go to California to receive proton radiation therapy. But we need to make up the money for eight weeks of airfares, clinical fees and everyday expenses. We’ve estimated we need to raise $20,000.”
Police allege Quinn scammed the community out of $45,000 for her fake treatment, Adelaide Now reports.
She was also chosen as one of only 10 Australians to receive government-funded proton therapy overseas at the cost of $200,000 per patient.
She travelled overseas in December 2014 using the money raised but in 2016, she further claimed she had contracted ovarian cancer and chronic myeloid leukaemia.
“It's a bit of a tough time for me at the moment and I'm just looking forward to getting back on my feet,” she said at the time.
But police say that Quinn’s brain tumour, uterus cancer and chronic myeloid leukaemia were all fake.
She was charged with four counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, among other charges, yesterday.
She is due to face Casino Local Court on April 18.