#BBCEye exposes a global scam network claiming to raise millions for children with cancer in war zones and deprived areas, but funds never reach them, leaving some without potentially lifesaving care.
Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽
https://bbc.in/3VyyriMAcross the world, desperate parents searching for help are being deceived by a global network of scammers exploiting children with cancer. These operators create emotional fundraising videos in which vulnerable children are made to cry, beg for their lives and even shave their heads, all to elicit donations.
BBC Eye Investigations has spoken to nine families, from multiple countries including Ukraine, Colombia and the Philippines, who never received the four million dollars raised in their children’s names. Some of these children died unable to afford the lifesaving treatment international donors believed they were giving to.
The investigation began in October 2023 when a YouTube advert led to a fundraising campaign for a little girl appearing to have raised more than half a million dollars. Soon more videos emerged, children from different countries, different backgrounds, yet the campaigns all looked strikingly similar. Something wasn’t right.
Several organisations appear to be behind these campaigns, all registered in Israel and some in the United States, including one of the most active, Chance Letikva - known in English as “Chance for Hope”.
BBC Eye Investigations uncovers the network of organisations presenting as charities, and exposes how they mislead the public and exploit vulnerable families around the world.
00:00 Introduction: The Child Cancer Scam
02:00 Who’s behind the online fundraising drives?
03:20 Hector’s story: donations after tragedy
05:03 Mapping the network behind the appeals
06:40 Ukraine: Viktoriia's cancer fight
11:32 Finding the local recruiters
13:04 Olena discovers fake campaigns using her daughter’s story
15:16 Questions about authenticity
16:50 Exposing exploitative Chance Letikva campaigns
18:32 The key contact
19:42 The hunt for clues in Israel
24:48 The claim: “All the money went on advertising”
28:04 Hector’s campaign still running
28:37 Nataliia’s story: told to make her child cry for the camera
30:01 Philippines: Khalil and the staged videos
35:29 Is Erez Hadari behind global campaigns?
41:00 Colombia: manipulating a sick child to send photos
48:27 Former recruiter speaks about her role
50:58 The fundraising drives continue
53:20 Confronting Erez
56:23 Faces of resilience
📧 If you have any information to add to this investigation, please contact simi@bbc.co.uk
🎧 Listen to the new 6-part World of Secrets investigative podcast here, or wherever you get your BBC podcasts:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvs0🎥 Watch more investigative journalism from our award-winning BBC Eye investigations team at this documentary playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4fa8LK1lptsvoA_spfJhzda🎞️ You may also be interested in watching these documentaries:
https://youtu.be/LymByDEqWkMhttps://youtu.be/OboT09uRw6Mhttps://youtu.be/v4WycNKcfyUhttps://youtu.be/Y5wajKa4iz8----------------
This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel.
If you like what we do, you can also find us here:
Instagram 👉🏽
https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldserviceTwitter 👉🏽
https://twitter.com/bbcworldserviceFacebook 👉🏽
https://facebook.com/bbcworldserviceBBC World Service website 👉🏽
https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradioThanks for watching and subscribing!
#Cancer #Documentary #Charity #Mexico #Colombia #Ukraine #Israel #Health #Parenting #BBCWorldService #WorldService