A new BBC investigation has uncovered what it calls, a global scam exploiting children with cancer.
The investigation, led by the BBC World Service’s award-winning BBC Eye team and the World of Secrets podcast, reveals how desperate families were misled while millions of dollars were raised in their children’s names.
The findings are presented in a documentary film, The Child Cancer Scam, and a new six-part season of the BBC’s global investigations podcast, World of Secrets.
The story began in October 2023, when a YouTube advert caught the attention of BBC reporter Simi Jolaoso.
It promoted a fundraising campaign for a young girl that appeared to have raised more than half a million dollars.
As the team dug deeper, more videos emerged featuring children from different countries and backgrounds.
Despite the differences, the campaigns shared striking similarities in tone, imagery and presentation, raising serious concerns.
BBC Eye used geolocation, social media analysis and facial-recognition software to identify fifteen families whose children appeared in the videos.
Working with local journalists worldwide, the investigation focuses on nine families in countries including Ukraine, Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines.
The families say they received little or no money from the campaigns, despite an apparent total of four million dollars being raised.
In many cases, parents were unaware their children had even been featured in fundraising appeals.
The investigation reveals disturbing details about how the videos were produced. Children were subjected to distressing filming conditions, encouraged to cry and plead for help, with one boy reportedly made to cry using onions placed under his eyes.
Some children had their heads shaved to heighten emotional impact. The videos were designed to solicit donations from unsuspecting viewers, often under significant emotional pressure.
BBC Eye traced the campaigns to several organisations presenting themselves as charities, registered in Israel, Canada and the United States.
One of the most active organisations identified is Chance Letikva, also known as Chance for Hope.
Campaigns linked to Chance Letikva for two children who have since died are still receiving donations.
The investigation also identifies Erez Hadari, an Israeli man living in Canada, as a key figure in the network, though he did not respond when presented with the findings.
The BBC contacted Chance Letikva and other organisations named in the investigation, including Walls of Hope, Saint Raphael, Little Angels and Saint Teresa. None responded to requests for comment.
The Israeli Corporations Authority told the BBC it could deny registration if evidence shows charities are being used to cover illegal activity.
In the UK, the Charity Commission advises donors to avoid giving under pressure and to check whether charities are properly registered.
The documentary The Child Cancer Scam is available on BBC iPlayer and as part of BBC Two’s Global Eye. International audiences can watch via the BBC World Service YouTube channel.
The first episode of World of Secrets: Season 10 – The Child Cancer Scam is now available on podcast platforms.
Two new episodes will be released weekly, with all six available on BBC Sounds in the UK.
