Pennsylvania Woman Fooled Family with Terminal Cancer Diagnosis, Extorted Money For Vacation in Australia

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is on the lookout for a Pennsylvania woman who has been a fugitive since her 2018 indictment. Listed under the department’s most wanted list, the accused is assumed to be in her 30s and is believed to be living in Queensland, Australia.

In a fresh appeal to the public on social media, the FBI revealed that the woman intentionally staged terminal cancer among her friends, family, and members of her community. Thereafter, she convinced them to lend money, which she actually used to sponsor her vacations to Australia.

Vanessa O’Rourke has been accused of wire fraud, which she began in October 2015. She convincingly led everyone to believe that she had been suffering from a rare terminal brain cancer called glioblastoma.

Misusing the sensitivity of this fake diagnosis, O’Rourke manipulated her family and friends into believing that she required money to undergo an experimental treatment in Australia. She specifically targeted her own family members, close friends, and community members across the Harleysville neighborhood. Her ruse exploited the goodwill of these people for over a year.

Believing her claims, nearly 140 donors contributed more than $11,740 to the GoFundMe page O’Rourke created for her alleged cancer treatment. Additionally, a charity benefit dinner was hosted at Whitpain Tavern. The event raised further money for O’Rourke’s purported medical treatments in Australia.

It was not until 2016 that the suspect took her first trip to Australia. However, authorities said she instead participated in several leisure activities and treated the trip as a vacation. The FBI confirmed that she did not undergo any medical treatment there. As a result, donor funds intended for her reported cancer treatment were spent on personal expenses and leisure activities abroad.

According to reports, O’Rourke made two trips from Pennsylvania to Australia. However, neither trip was linked to treatment for her alleged brain cancer diagnosis.

The FBI indicted O’Rourke on May 3, 2018. A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania charged her with 15 counts of wire fraud. Authorities believed the suspect had already fled to Australia at the time of her indictment.

By August 2019, O’Rourke had been placed in Australian immigration detention following a tribunal ruling. However, no extradition proceedings have taken place since then. The suspect remains a fugitive as of May 2026. The FBI also confirmed that recent reports of O’Rourke’s activities date to May 27-28, 2026, indicating that she may still be living in Australia.

The FBI’s Special Agent in Charge, Michael J. Driscoll, described the case as a reprehensible act that exploited and misled numerous people. Authorities have urged anyone with information about O’Rourke to come forward and contact the nearest FBI field office.