Meaghan Hudson (Photo : Facebook)
A California woman scammed her friends and family into believing that she had received a terminal cancer diagnosis. The con and lies lasted for about a year, allowing Meaghan Hudson, to collect around $7,000 in donated funds from supporters.
Investigators revealed that the 25-year-old Hudson claimed that she needed the money for chemotherapy, according to New York Daily News. Her friends and family were embarrassed after they had set up a crowdsourcing website to receive contributions for Hudson.
The con started in the summer of 2013, when Hudson sent asa text message to her family and friends, which included some disturbing news. She claimed that she had multiple myeloma cancer, and that it was unlikely she would survive, according to NBC San Diego.
Haley Hudson, Meaghan's sister, shared that her sister had shaved her head to make it appear that she was receiving chemotherapy. She also uploaded photos of her in which she seemed to be sitting in doctors' waiting rooms.
Haley explains that Meaghan's family lived in Texas. Due to the great distance between the two states, it was easier for Meaghan to maintain the con.
Hudson had also received donations from her high school friends in Dayton, Ohio. Some of them shaved their heads and received matching tattoos, to show support for her.
Hudson's stepmother explained that she had a history of lying in order to "get attention." Since her arrest, she has not communicated with her family.
Now out on bail, Hudson is living with a friend of hers. When asked how she was responding to the criminal investigation, he explained that she believed that the world was, "hating on her."
Hudson's family members noticed some red flags regarding her claims of having cancer. Her hair grew back healthily thick, which is uncommon after chemo treatment; and she was not taking medications when she visited them.
An anonymous caller informed Chula Visa police of Hudson's supposed lies. She was arrested last summer.
Hudson's court hearing in San Diego County will take place on April 29. She faces felony charges of fraud and also grand theft.
