Nevada mother pleads guilty to cancer scam and theft

A mother from Nevada has pleaded guilty to charges of theft after scamming a close friend and numerous anonymous donors by falsely claiming she had cancer. 

Haleigh Knight, a resident of Henderson, was admitted on Monday, 13 April, to using GoFundMe and other deceptive methods to defraud victims of more than $20,000.

Reports from the "Las Vegas Review-Journal" and local stations confirm that Knight targeted a former high school classmate, Cydney Fink, and her family through a series of elaborate fabrications.

Responding to the conviction on Tuesday, a GoFundMe spokesperson told "PEOPLE", "GoFundMe has zero tolerance for bad actors who seek to take advantage of the generosity of others."

The platform has permanently banned Knight, stating that its top priority is to remain a "safe and trusted place" for charitable giving.

Police affidavits revealed that Knight also posed as a travel adviser, convincing Fink she had secured a contract with Four Seasons Hotels.

Knight allegedly created a group chat using a secondary phone number to impersonate a coordinator named "Beatrice" to explain why various prepaid holidays were repeatedly cancelled.

Between June 2023 and January 2025, the Fink family sent digital payments totalling $20,192.16 to the defendant.

Knight pleaded guilty to felony theft in March and has agreed to pay $19,787.12 in restitution. Although her charges could be reduced to a misdemeanour under the plea agreement, she still faces 1 to 5 years in prison. Knight is scheduled to appear for her formal sentencing hearing on 24 June.