Woman accused of faking brain cancer, collecting donations

A woman who is accused of having told friends and family members that she had a brain tumor, then collecting approximately $28,000 in donations is now facing charges for fraud.

Rhode Island State Police said they began to investigate Alicia Pierini, 35, of Woonsocket, in May after someone complained that she was lying.

"The investigation revealed that Ms. Pierini had advised friends and family members that she had a brain tumor or brain cancer," RISP wrote.

As a result of her claims, a GoFundMe account was opened in her name. State police said that account collected nearly $28,000 in donations.

"As time went on, friends and family members became suspicious of her claims that she had cancer," RISP wrote.

Investigators confirmed she had never been a patient at any of the facilities where she claimed to be getting treatment. RISP said investigators found evidence that she was never diagnosed with cancer and was instead using the donated money "in a fraudulent fashion."

Pierini was arrested for obtaining money under false pretenses and accessing a computer for fraudulent purposes. She was released on $40,000 bail after arraignment.

GoFundMe will be reimbursing the individuals who donated to the account, RISP said. 
If any additional victims of the case wish to come forward, they can call RISP's Financial Crimes Unit at 401-444-1201.

"It’s important to remember that our platform is backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, which means that in the rare case that GoFundMe, law enforcement or a user finds campaigns are misused, donors are fully protected and will get their money back. In the small handful of cases where misuse occurs, GoFundMe takes action to resolve the issue. In this case, all GoFundMe donors have been refunded," said spokesman Bobby Whithorne.

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