Amanda Christine Riley is an American woman who became one of the most widely covered cancer fraud cases in the history of true crime.
Between 2012 and 2019, Riley, a California-based wife, mother, and Christian blogger, falsely claimed to have been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and used a personal blog, social media, and in-person fundraising events to solicit over $105,000 from approximately 349 donors, including strangers, church community members, and celebrities, to fund non-existent medical treatments.
Her elaborate deception earned her the internet nickname “Scamanda,” which became the title of the 2023 hit true-crime podcast that exposed her case in detail, and the subsequent 2025 ABC News Studios four-part documentary series. Riley pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2021 and was sentenced to five years in federal prison in May 2022.
Profile
| Full Name | Amanda Christine Riley |
| Date of Birth | Circa 1985 (age approximately 39–40 as of 2025) |
| Birthplace | California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Former Teacher and Principal; Blogger (former) |
| Religion | Christian |
| Spouse | Cory Riley (married; divorce proceedings ongoing as of 2025) |
| Children | Two sons |
| Conviction | Wire fraud (guilty plea, 2021) |
| Sentence | Five years federal prison (May 2022) |
Early Life
Amanda Christine Riley was raised in the Bay Area of California. She was known in her community as a devout Christian, an active church member, and an engaged mother of two sons.
Prior to gaining notoriety for her fraud, she had worked as a teacher and a principal. She was described by those who knew her as charming, well-liked, and deeply embedded in her local faith community.
The details of her childhood and early family background have not been widely published in verified sources.
Education
Riley qualified as a teacher and served in educational roles including a position as a principal, indicating completion of the relevant teacher training and certification programs required in California.
No further academic details are publicly confirmed.
The Fraud
In 2012, Riley informed her church congregation and wider social circle that she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer.
She subsequently created a blog called Lymphoma Can Suck It, which rapidly gained a following among family, friends, church members, and strangers who were moved by her detailed accounts of her supposed cancer journey.
The blog portrayed Riley undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, and clinical trials, and documented the emotional toll of living with a life-threatening disease. She staged photographs of herself in hospital settings and displayed medications as props.
Riley used her blog and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to cultivate a community of supporters and to solicit donations. She organized and attended numerous in-person fundraising events and accepted gifts, trips, and celebrity meet-and-greets arranged on her behalf by well-meaning supporters. Among those who donated to her cause was singer LeAnn Rimes.
Over the course of approximately seven years, Riley collected over $105,000 in donations from 349 individuals, many of whom gave repeatedly because they believed they were helping a dying woman cover the cost of her treatments and final life experiences.
In reality, Riley had never been diagnosed with cancer and had never undergone any cancer treatment. The fraud was first flagged by a suspicious blogger named Nancy Moscatiello, who began fact-checking Riley’s accounts and reporting her concerns to the San Jose Police Department’s Financial Fraud Unit as early as 2015.
Investigators faced significant legal obstacles because medical records are protected by federal privacy law, making it difficult to prove Riley had never received the treatment she described. Riley was so confident in her deception that she filed a lawsuit against Moscatiello for attempting to expose her, a lawsuit she ultimately lost.
An IRS special agent, Arlette Lee, filed a criminal complaint against Riley in July 2020 after a years-long investigation. Riley was convicted of wire fraud in 2021 and pleaded guilty. At her sentencing hearing on May 3, 2022, she delivered a statement expressing regret. She was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of over $105,000 to her 349 victims.
Her husband Cory, who had accompanied her to doctors’ appointments and had claimed under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding that he had attended her cancer treatments, was investigated but never charged with any crime. Cory filed for divorce from Amanda during her incarceration.
Media Coverage
In 2023, journalist Charlie Webster produced and hosted the true-crime podcast Scamanda, which used Riley’s blog posts, victim interviews, and law enforcement testimony to reconstruct her fraud in detail.
The podcast became one of the most-listened-to true crime podcasts of the year. In January 2025, ABC News Studios released a four-part documentary series of the same name, exploring how Riley had maintained her deception for so long and what the experience had cost her victims. Riley declined to participate in both productions.
Webster, who maintained off-record communication with Riley throughout, reported that Riley had told her she was sorry and regretted everything she had done.
Awards and Nominations
Not applicable.
Social Media
Riley’s original blog, Lymphoma Can Suck It, has been archived and is no longer accessible.
Her active social media accounts were shut down or became dormant following her arrest and conviction. No verified current social media presence exists.
Personal Life
Amanda Riley and her husband Cory had been together throughout the years of the fraud, living in a prosperous Bay Area suburb and presenting themselves publicly as a faithful, family-oriented Christian couple.
Cory Riley was by his wife’s side throughout the simulated illness, including attending what appeared to be medical appointments. He has never been charged with any crime in connection with the fraud.
By the time the ABC documentary aired in early 2025, the couple was in the process of divorcing. Amanda Riley is the mother of two sons.
Net Worth
No verified net worth figure is currently available for Amanda Riley.
She was ordered by the court to pay full restitution of over $105,000 to her victims as part of her sentencing.
Conclusion
Amanda Riley’s case became a landmark in discussions about the intersection of social media, faith communities, and charitable fraud.
Her ability to maintain an elaborate false identity as a cancer patient for nearly a decade, leveraging the trust of a devout congregation, the emotional power of a public blog, and the goodwill of strangers, exposed the unique vulnerabilities of online donor communities to sophisticated deception.
The podcast and documentary bearing her nickname Scamanda reached audiences of millions, turning her case into a broader conversation about how deception is cultivated, sustained, and ultimately undone. She remains incarcerated as of 2025.
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