Woman accused of faking serious illnesses to defraud 95 people of €46,000

A woman from Alytus district has been charged with large-scale fraud after allegedly deceiving 95 people by falsely claiming to have two serious cancers, prosecutors announced Monday.

According to an investigation by the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the woman used social media posts and live streams between March and November 2023 to spread false information about her health, LRT reports. She claimed to have been diagnosed with two oncological diseases and shared fabricated medical records, including stolen X-ray images of another person’s chest and lungs.

Prosecutors allege she also falsely stated she had undergone chemotherapy and required expensive medication. By manipulating public sympathy—including exploiting her young daughter’s image—she solicited donations to her bank account, collecting a total of €46,075 from 95 victims.

The case file spans 101 volumes and includes testimony from 1,720 individuals interviewed during the pre-trial investigation. If convicted of large-scale fraud, the woman faces up to eight years in prison. The case has been referred to Alytus District Court for trial.

The investigation was led by Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office, with support from Alytus County Chief Police Commissariat’s Criminal Police Division.