Cancer faker, 40, pretended she had leukaemia to swindle her local community out of $14,000
- Cheryl Pryor, 40, scammed a community into believing she had throat cancer
- A friend set up a GoFundMe page for her which raised more than $14,000
- Pryor pleaded guilty to fraud, forgery and attempting to pervert court of justice
A woman faked she had throat cancer and leukemia to a small community that donated more than $14,000 to help her recovery.
Cheryl Elizabeth Pryor, 40, lived in Nhulunbuy around 645km east of Darwin before travelling to Sydney in January where she claimed she spent time in hospital after she was stabbed in the leg.
During her stay in Sydney, she told a friend she had been diagnosed with cancer who then set up a GoFundMe page on the Nhulunbuy community's Facebook.
Pryor had even posed as a doctor she claimed had been administering her chemotherapy to police after they began investigating.
A 40-year-old woman scammed a community into thinking she had cancer and posed as a doctor's receptionist to police (file image)
A total of $14,387.31 was raised during the scam before locals grew suspicious and in March police were called in to investigate.
The 40-year-old told police she was being treated by Westmead Private Hospital professor Jonathan Carter, The NT News reported.
But the hospital had no records of her ever attending.
Pryor then rang police, posing as Professor Carter's assistant before the call was traced back to her phone.
Share this article
Appearing at the Supreme Court, Pryor pleaded guilty to fraud, forgery and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Crown prosecutor Naomi Loudon said Pryor had attended a hospital after being stabbed in the leg with a fork - but was unable to remember where.
'She claimed to have experienced a sore throat which caused her to believe she may have cancer but accepted she was never diagnosed with any disease,' Ms Loudon said.
'She admitted accepting payments from the charity fund but claimed she could not recall what she had represented about any reason for entitlement to such funds.'
Pryor's friend who organise the GoFundMe said she was in disbelief.
'I continually ask myself how she could take advantage of my giving nature in such a sick and twisted way. I was so sad and felt sick to the core for weeks.'
Pryor will appear in court again for sentencing on May 29.
