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Charges have been laid after police say a Burlington woman faked a serious illness and defrauded family, friends and the general public of thousands of dollars raised to support her.
Cynthia Lynn Smith, 39, is charged with defrauding the public over $5,000 after fabricating a neurological illness.
Police add that Smith went so far as to act out many of the symptoms to family and friends who helped her start a charity to raise money for experimental medicines in the U.S.
An online GoFundMe page was started in Smith’s name in November 2014 and, in combination with other local donations, it raised over $100,000.
Police say they began investigating Smith in late March after a local reporter raised concerns about the validity of her charity.
They determined that Smith had never been diagnosed or treated for the illness she claimed to be suffering from.
Agencies/Canadajournal
And when convicted, she will go to jail, continuing to be a drain on society. I hope the $100,000 is still around, but I doubt it.