New Delhi: Cowdsourcing is becoming more popular. There were a lot of people who registered themselves on crowdsourcing platforms during the Covid-19 pandemic’s height. Numerous positive and prosperous stories entered the media. These platforms gradually grew exponentially over the past year, and today many needy men, women, and children seek assistance from them.
As the platform’s authenticity increased, fake and dishonest patients also began to appear. Many people who claimed to be helping presented pointless papers and diseases and asked for money. One such woman, 44-year-old Broadstairs, Kent, resident Nicole Elkabbas, defrauded people and made money.
Nicole collected Rs 43 lakh by posing as a cancer patient. The woman “lied to people that she had ovarian cancer and then raised a fund of Rs 43 lakh through a crowdfunding website,” according to The Daily Star. Nicole Elkabbas set up a fake page on the crowdfunding website Go Fund Me and declared she had ovarian cancer and needed to travel to Spain for treatment.
According to the report, about 700 people gave financial support for her medical care. She later spent the funds on shopping, gambling, and travel. Nicole Elkabbas disclosed during her court appearance that she believed she had cancer. She also disclosed to the court that she had undergone 3 operations and 6 rounds of chemotherapy.
The woman claimed that she desperately needed a cancer drug that is only available in Spain in order to save her life on the crowdsourcing website.
According to the Daily Star’s report, the investigating officers didn’t find any evidence of Nicole Elkabbas having ordered any medications or received any medical attention while she was a patient at the hospital.
Nicole was found guilty in court and is currently incarcerated for 2 years and 9 months.
