FBI seeks extradition of Pennsylvania woman after allegedly faking brain cancer for Australian vacation funds

The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office continues to pursue the extradition of Vanessa O’Rourke, a former resident of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, whose federal arrest warrant remains active following a 15-count indictment for wire fraud. Although currently detained in an Australian immigration facility, O’Rourke has yet to be transferred to the United States to face charges stemming from an alleged fraudulent medical fundraising scheme.

According to federal authorities, between October 2015 and July 2016, O’Rourke falsely claimed to family, friends, and the public that she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. To bolster her credibility, investigators revealed that O’Rourke falsely posed as a Temple University medical student training to become a neurosurgeon.

Federal prosecutors allege she used these fabricated diagnoses to solicit donations for living expenses and supposed experimental treatments in Australia. The scheme included an online GoFundMe campaign that drew contributions from more than 140 donors, totaling $11,740.

Donors gave for cancer treatment, and she took a vacation

But rather than seeking medical care, investigators say O’Rourke used the crowdsourced funds to travel to Australia in 2016, where she spent the money on personal leisure and luxury expenses. Law enforcement officials later noted that O’Rourke’s departure also allowed her to evade separate, unrelated minor theft charges pending against her in Pennsylvania.

Even after fleeing the United States, O’Rourke allegedly continued the deception. Unaware of the fraud, her loved ones organized two additional fundraisers on her behalf, including a local restaurant benefit and a subsequent online campaign.

In May 2018, a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted O’Rourke on 15 counts of wire fraud, and a federal warrant was issued for her arrest. When the indictment was unsealed in September 2020, federal officials strongly condemned the exploitation of the donors’ goodwill, labeling the scheme a reprehensible manipulation of public generosity.

After overstaying her Australian visitor visa, she was arrested by local authorities in Queensland, Australia, for pretending to be a medical professional and working illegally for a private healthcare company. After pleading guilty to local fraud and forgery charges, she was placed into an Australian immigration detention center in August 2019.

Because the international extradition process between the United States and Australia remains pending for these federal white-collar charges, O’Rourke’s U.S. arrest warrant remains fully active. O’Rourke, now 37 years old, was last known to be in Queensland, Australia. The FBI’s White-Collar Crimes unit maintains her active wanted profile and requests that anyone with verifiable information regarding her exact location or status contact the FBI directly or notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.