Seven years of a fabricated Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis, $105,513 from 349 donors
Amanda Christine Riley, formerly of San Jose, California, falsely claimed from 2012 to 2019 to have Hodgkin's lymphoma, shaving her head, forging medical records and physicians' letters, and persuading family members to back the story to collect $105,513 from 349 donors through blog and social media appeals for treatment she never needed. Charged by criminal complaint in July 2020, she pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in October 2021 and was sentenced in May 2022 to 60 months in federal prison plus $105,513 restitution.
- Year
- 2022
- Where
- United States
- Outcome
- Sentenced
- Reported loss
- $105,513
- Victims
- 349
- Schemes
- Crowdfunding and fake fundraiser scams
- Last reviewed
- 2026-10-11
The facts, as recorded
- Amanda Christine Riley, formerly of San Jose, California, falsely reported having Hodgkin's lymphoma from 2012 to 2019.
- She raised $105,513 from 349 individuals and entities through blog and social media appeals for cancer treatment.
- To maintain the claim, she shaved her head to appear as though she were undergoing chemotherapy, falsified medical records, forged physicians' letters and medical certifications, and persuaded family members to corroborate her story.
- She gave materially false testimony in several legal proceedings and sued at least one person who publicly suggested she was faking the illness.
- IRS Criminal Investigation and the San Jose Police Department investigated the scheme, uncovering it in 2019.
- She was charged by criminal complaint in July 2020 and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 on October 12, 2021.
- On May 3, 2022, US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman sentenced her to 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered $105,513 in restitution.
- The case was announced by the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, naming then-US Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson.
A diagnosis that was never real
Amanda Christine Riley, formerly of San Jose, California, told her blog readers and social media followers from 2012 to 2019 that she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She raised $105,513 from 349 individuals and entities for treatment she did not need.
Years of manufactured proof
To sustain the claim for seven years, Riley shaved her head to appear as though she were undergoing chemotherapy, falsified medical records, forged physicians’ letters and medical certifications, and persuaded family members to back her story. When people publicly questioned whether she was faking it, she gave false testimony in legal proceedings and sued at least one of them.
Caught, charged, sentenced
IRS Criminal Investigation and the San Jose Police Department investigated and uncovered the fraud in 2019. Riley was charged by criminal complaint in July 2020 and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on October 12, 2021. On May 3, 2022, US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman sentenced her to 60 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and $105,513 in restitution, matching the full amount she had raised.
The caveat
Riley pleaded guilty to wire fraud; this is a concluded conviction, not an allegation. The cited source attributes the case announcement to named officials but records no direct quotes from them, so this page does not invent any.
Sources
- Woman formerly of Bay Area sentenced to five years in prison for fraud scheme. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Accessed 2026-10-11. Supports: Riley's full name, the San Jose location, the Hodgkin's lymphoma claim, the $105,513 raised from 349 people, the concealment methods, the 2012 to 2019 scheme dates, the investigating agencies, the July 2020 charge, the October 12 2021 plea, the sentencing judge, and the May 3 2022 sentence of 60 months plus $105,513 restitution.