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The Daily Insight

Madison Russo GoFundMe scandal explained amid $37,000 scam

Author

James Bradley

Published Jan 01, 2026

On Monday, January 23, 19-year-old Bettendorf lady Madison Russo was captured for purportedly getting more than $37,000 on GoFundMe after dishonestly persuading givers to think she had disease.

WQAD detailed that Madison Russo professed to have Intense Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Stage 2 Pancreatic Malignant growth. She likewise let givers know that she had a cancer folded over her spine.

As per KWQC, Madison Russo’s implied GoFundMe outrage was uncovered after GoFundMe clients with clinical experience noted clinical errors in the photos the suspect posted of her ‘illness’ across virtual entertainment stages. Specialists detailed that she got $37,303 from roughly 439 givers.

Because of the allegations, Madison Russo has been accused of robbery through duplicity. On Monday, soon after her capture, she was let out of Scott District Prison on a $10,000 bond.

According to HITC, Russo has been professing to be a survivor of stage 2 malignant growth for almost a year. The principal record of the misrepresentation showed up in a July 2022 Facebook Post on the Public Pancreas Establishment Page, when she enlightened audiences regarding her alleged malignant growth venture. On October 18, 2022, neighborhood outlet North Scott Press Paper likewise included a tale about the encounters Russo professed to have as a disease casualty.

Eldridge Cop Garret Jahns documented a testimony illustrating the subtleties of the trick Russo was blamed for. Specialists asserted that to gather cash for her trick, Russo had given a few discussions at colleges and different organizations.

“Madison Russo has taken cash and gifts from more than 439 benefactors, givers to incorporate, organizations, public and neighborhood disease establishments, school locale, universities, and confidential residents.”
It proceeded:

Madison Russo has made/created various virtual entertainment posts discussing her diseases and has been a visitor speaker for the Public Pancreatic Malignant growth Establishment, Undertaking Purple, The Ohl Establishment and St. Ambrose College deceptively that she has been determined to have Stage 2 pancreatic malignant growth.”

The Good old Solid Groundwork, a gathering that had offered help to Russo, tended to the charges against her. The association’s assertion read:

Madison Beer in Ralph&Russo #BRITs

— ً (@faveslooks) February 20, 2019


“The Dr. Brent Ohl Pancreatic Disease Backing and Mindfulness Group is disheartened to hear that one of our beneficiaries in 2022 has been accused of deceitfully tolerating help from our asset. Our objective has been, and keeps on being, to offer monetary help to 100 percent of the pancreatic malignant growth patients locally.”
GoFundMe additionally censured Russo’s activities. The site’s assertion read:

“GoFundMe has a zero-resistance strategy for abuse of our foundation and helps out policing of those blamed for bad behavior. GoFundMe’s Giving Assurance offers contributors a full discount in the uncommon situation when there’s something off about something.”