A surprising number of people have faked a cancer diagnosis. But why? Psychologists explain.

The "Scamanda" podcast has captivated people this summer with its deep dive into the wild story of Amanda Riley, a former teacher and principal from Northern California, who faked having cancer for nearly a decade. Riley convinced family and friends to give her more than $100,000 for her "treatment" before she was caught.

The podcast, which is hosted by journalist Charlie Webster, details how Riley told her family, friends and total strangers (via her blog and social media accounts) that she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Riley shaved her head, falsified medical records and even sued Nancy Moscatiello, a producer who tried to uncover the truth.

Riley was sentenced to five years in prison for fraud in May 2022, according to the U.S. attorney's office. "Riley’s scheme continued from 2012 until 2019, when it was uncovered by an investigation of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the San Jose Police Department," the office states online.

The podcast has been hugely popular, and it's raised a lot of questions about why someone would fake having cancer in the first place. Unfortunately, Riley isn't the only person who has done this and gotten caught. Here's a look back at some of the most common cases, plus an examination of why people may create — and maintain — this grift.

Several people have faked cancer in the past few years.

There are a slew of stories that have made headlines over the last few years of people who have faked cancer and gotten caught. These are some of the more popular stories.

• Earlier this year, TikToker Madison Russo was arrested and charged with defrauding 439 people out of more than $37,000 after she faked a cancer diagnosis. The 19-year-old told people that she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, stage 2 pancreatic cancer and a tumor the size of a football, according to the New York Daily News. Russo even wrote a story for the North Scott Press about her "cancer," saying, "I feel like I’ve been rocked to my soul, and right now, everything is kind of uncertain." She was caught after people with a background in medicine pointed out discrepancies in her story.
  

• Earlier this month, Taiwanese fitness influencer MianBaobao confessed that she had lied about having late-stage pancreatic cancer for three years. MianBaobao posted on Instagram about being a weightlifter, as well as her cancer treatments, sharing photos of IVs, the hospital and her hair loss, according to the South China Morning Post. Her ruse was up after a man who said he was her ex-husband became suspicious and revealed that she never allowed him to join her on treatments and insisted on seeing her doctor alone. MianBaobao later issued an apology on Instagram.
  

• Rhode Island woman Sarah Jane Cavanaugh pretended to be a former Marine with cancer and received more than $280,000 in donations and benefits over five years before she was caught in 2022, according to The Hill. Cavanaugh said that she was wounded by an improvised explosive device in Iraq and that she developed cancer from burn pits and other activities during her military service. She also attended public events in military uniform and wore a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star she had purchased. Cavanaugh was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison.
  

• Elisabeth Finch, a former writer and co-producer for "Grey's Anatomy," faked a cancer diagnosis for years before admitting to the newsletter the Ankler last year that she never had cancer. “I told a lie when I was 34 years old and it was the biggest mistake of my life,” the 44-year-old said. “It just got bigger and bigger and bigger and got buried deeper and deeper inside me.” Finch's wife tipped off Disney, the parent company of ABC, and Shondaland, which produces "Grey's Anatomy," to the deception last year and Finch was put on leave. She and her wife are divorcing.
  

• Australian health influencer Belle Gibson faked a terminal brain cancer diagnosis and claimed she cured her disease with a special diet and alternative therapies. Gibson sold a cookbook and app called "The Whole Pantry," which featured her diet. In 2015, journalists discovered that her diagnosis and "treatment" were lies.

Why would someone fake cancer?

Mental health experts say there are several reasons why someone might fake having cancer. "For some, they may feign illness with the desire to be cared for by others or receive attention," Hillary Ammon, a clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety & Women's Emotional Wellness, tells Yahoo Life. "In other instances, they may be gaining something — money or time off from work."

Some people may struggle with a condition known as factitious disorder (formerly Munchausen syndrome), whereby they fake an illness because they want to be seen as sick by others, Thea Gallagher, a clinical assistant professor of psychology at NYU's medical school and co-host of the "Mind in View" podcast, tells Yahoo Life. "While people with factitious disorder know they're not sick, they might not understand why they're faking it," Gallagher says.

"People with factitious disorder are typically well-informed of the illness they are feigning," Ammon says. "They may exaggerate symptoms or create symptoms, create elaborate medical histories, seek out treatment often from several providers and sometimes harm themselves to appear sick, all in an attempt to deceive others."

Some people who fake a cancer diagnosis also may simply enjoy scheming and deceiving others, Ammon says.

Is there treatment for this?

There is, but it's a bit of a journey. "Medically, providers want to ensure individuals feigning illness are physically healthy," Ammon says. "Once it becomes apparent that they are feigning illness, medical providers will want to ensure they have not been doing anything to harm themselves, in an effort to present with symptoms."

If someone has been faking an illness and they realize it's a problem, "going to therapy and exploring the function behind that behavior can help," Gallagher says. Ammon agrees. "While there is no treatment specifically for factitious disorder, a mental health provider may help these individuals resolve underlying issues," she says.

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