AMANDA Riley is a well known title throughout America, due to her very public and extremely publicized battle with most cancers which noticed individuals donate hundreds of {dollars} to assist her. 

Nonetheless, unbeknownst to these well-wishers, Amanda had faked her total most cancers battle and was utilizing it as a scheme to earn cash — the sickening scheme is featured in new ABC docuseries Scamanda. 

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The invention of her plot earned her the nickname “Scamanda”, due to a podcast and upcoming TV collection of the identical title, and he or she ultimately obtained a five-year jail sentence. 

However who actually is Amanda and the place is she now? 

A church rip-off and a authorized battle

Not a lot is understood about Amanda’s youth, earlier than she launched her most cancers rip-off within the early 2010s, aside from the small print uncovered by investigative producer Nancy Moscatiello and broadcaster Charlie Webster.

Amanda attended the Household Neighborhood Church, which attracted hundreds of churchgoers each week, a lot of whom would ultimately turn into the victims of Amanda’s plan. 

The producer and broadcaster uncovered that Amanda had been in a authorized battle together with her husband Cory’s ex-wife Aletta, previous to launching her most cancers scheme. 

Amanda and Cory had been locked in a bitter custody battle over Aletta and Cory’s daughter, Jessa. 

Amanda had met Cory shortly after his divorce from Aletta in 2007 they usually tied the knot 4 years later in 2011.

The couple claimed that Aletta was a nasty guardian and ultimately persuaded the court docket into handing over full custody of Jessa.

It was additionally round this time that Amanda’s alleged rip-off was born and he or she started to speak about her claims of a most cancers prognosis on-line.

Lymphoma Can Suck It

Amanda documented her battle with Hodgkin Lymphoma on a weblog known as “Lymphoma Can Suck It”, which she launched in 2012. 

She would share photos of herself hooked to IV drips on the positioning and posted updates about experimental remedies she was receiving.

The weblog even had a hyperlink which led wellwishers to a donor web page, which inspired them to pay for Amanda’s remedies. 

A number of the remedies price an eye-watering £10,000 a month. 

Charity elevating occasions had been even held in her title, together with Fb challenges and eBay auctions. 

Throughout one public sale, a guitar signed by nation music legend LeAnn Rimes was offered to assist Amanda.

Issues within the weblog did not appear proper

Nancy Moscatiello

The rip-off started to unravel in 2015 when Los Angeles-based investigative producer Nancy Moscatiello obtained an nameless tip about Amanda’s scheme. 

She joined forces with British broadcaster Charlie Webster, who stated she discovered the case “fascinating”. 

Charlie stated: “Amanda is charming and younger – why would she do it? The psychology and human behaviour is what me in regards to the story.”

Their analysis uncovered the bitter authorized battle that Amanda and Cory had waged towards Aletta and, quickly, extra inconsistencies in Amanda’s story started to appear. 

Nancy stated that “issues within the weblog didn’t appear proper”.

She continued: “My sister had stage-four lung most cancers years earlier than and a good friend of mine helped her by researching scientific trials.

“She regarded on the weblog and pointed me to inconsistencies, like remedies that weren’t obtainable at dwelling or may solely be administered by a medically educated particular person – and medicines that might solely be saved in a laboratory fridge.”

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Police investigation

Nancy took the proof to the police in September 2015, which prompted Amanda to accuse the producer of being in cahoots with Aletta. 

In February 2016, police launched an investigation into the case and raided Amanda’s home in September that yr. 

By July 2020, Amanda was charged with one rely of wire fraud for defrauding donors together with her faux prognosis and one rely of falsifying data in court docket paperwork which had been offered at her chapter listening to. 

She initially pleaded not responsible however modified her plea when the second cost was dropped.

The place is Amanda now?

In Might 2022, she was sentenced to 5 years in jail and he or she is presently serving her sentence in a facility in Texas. 

She was ordered by U.S. District Choose Beth Labson Freeman to pay $105,513 in restitution and he or she should bear three years of supervision following her launch from jail. 

Prosecutors have accused her of nonetheless faking diseases in jail.

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The San Francisco Chronicle has claimed that federal court docket paperwork revealed that Amanda has been taken to hospital in an ambulance 24 occasions, throughout her first 24 months. 

Charlie and Nancy’s podcast Scamanda documenting their investigation launched in April 2023 and it exploded in recognition, occurring to turn into the most well-liked new podcast of 2023 on Apple Podcasts. 

Scamanda documentary

A TV present of the identical title, with Nancy as an government producer, has dropped on ABC.

4-part documentary Scamanda delves into Riley’s elaborate and callous most cancers con. 

The collection options interviews with victims, together with Riley’s stepdaughter Jessa, who delves into the emotional toll of the deception.

In 2022, she defined in a witness impression assertion: “I knew higher than to query, as she would commonly lash out at me”.

Former good friend Lisa Berry additionally described her suspicions: “We gave her the wanted cash.

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“Inside a pair days, she posted glamorous photographs of herself taken by knowledgeable photographer.

“I grew to become suspicious that the cash I had given her was used to pay for this photograph shoot”.

Throughout her sentencing, Riley expressed regret: “Your Honor, there aren’t phrases to precise how horrific I really feel and the way sorry I’m that this occurred.

“My coronary heart aches every single day, considering that I did one thing that harm different individuals.

“That is the worst factor I’ve ever carried out and the worst mistake I may have made.”

The conwoman added: “I threw away my profession, all my family and friends”. 

Scamanda takes a complete have a look at Riley’s deception, its impression on her victims and the eventual unraveling of her fraudulent narrative.

Scamanda premiered on January 30, 2025, at 9 pm ET on ABC Information, with the next three elements airing on subsequent Thursdays on the similar time.

All episodes can be found for streaming on Hulu the day after they’re broadcast.