BBC investigation finds millions raised for children with cancer diverted by scam networks

A BBC World Service investigation has found that online fundraising campaigns for children with cancer have exploited desperate families, raising millions while leaving many families with little or nothing to support life-saving treatment. In the Philippines, a seven-year-old boy named Khalil was filmed as part of a campaign that his mother, Aljin Tabasa, says was pitched as a driver of aid for his care. She says she was told the video would help fund treatment, but the campaign ultimately paid out only a $700 filming fee on the day, and Khalil died about a year later. The campaign itself appeared to have raised about $27,000 (roughly £20,200), according to a donor-compiled tally, and the family says they learned little about how the funds were used. Across the world, families in other countries say they received little or none of the funds raised in their name, despite the campaigns’ apparent success.

The BBC identified 15 families who described being exposed to campaigns that claimed to fund life-saving cancer treatment for their children. Nine of those families, whose campaigns appear connected to the same network, say they never received any of the roughly $4 million (£2.9 million) that the networks publicly claimed to have raised. A whistleblower described a recruitment approach that sought to feature “beautiful children” aged three to nine who were without hair, with the implication that such images would maximize donor sympathy. Investigators traced a key figure in the network to an Israeli man living in Canada, named Erez Hadari, who is linked to multiple campaigns and organizations, including Chance Letikva (Chance for Hope), Walls of Hope, Saint Raphael, Saint Teresa, and Little Angels.

The investigation began in October 2023 after distressing YouTube ads drew attention to a girl named Alexandra from Ghana who cried that her treatments cost a lot. A crowdfunding campaign presented as assisting Alexandra appeared to have raised nearly $700,000 (£523,797). The BBC reviewed a wider set of videos featuring sick children from various countries, all of which shared slick production values, urgent language, and claims of large fundraising totals. While it was difficult to confirm the cash totals on crowdfunding sites, the BBC donated small amounts to two campaigns and observed the totals rise by those amounts, suggesting the campaigns were accepting new donations. In the Philippines, Khalil’s case illustrates the pattern: a local fixer connected to an international network arranged the shoot, the family was asked to retake scenes for hours, and the video was directed by someone who introduced himself as Erez. The family was told the money would come in, but months after filming they say they never received the promised payments and the campaign’s reported success did not translate into funds for Khalil’s ongoing care. The video remains online, and the campaign appears to remain active to this day.

In Colombia, Ana—an eight-year-old diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor—was approached by a fixer who offered help and introduced the family to someone claiming to work for an international NGO. The family says a man who resembled Erez handed them a contract and asked for photographs to pass to a contact in Israel. The BBC later established that two campaigns linked to Chance Letikva had indeed uploaded and appeared to raise substantial sums. Ana’s father, Sergio Care, says that Isabel—who offered financial aid in the hospital, and whom he later believed to be connected to the network—began demanding more photographs and updates, even after Ana’s condition improved. Ana later learned that the campaign appears to have raised around €250,000 by April 2024. Ana’s family says the experience left them feeling misled and exploited. In Ukraine, Viktoriia, a five-year-old with brain cancer, was photographed by Tetiana Khaliavka at Angelholm Clinic in Chernivtsi. Viktoriia’s mother, Olena Firsova, says she was told the video would aid her daughter’s treatment, but she never consented to or signed documents approving the project, and the clinic says it did not authorize filming for fundraising. Investigators found a contract that suggested Viktoriia’s family would receive a $1,500 filming fee and an $8,000 payout once a fundraising goal was met, with the goal amount left blank. Angelholm Clinic later said it had not approved any fundraising initiatives and dismissed Tetiana Khaliavka’s employment. The BBC found that Saint Raphael, Saint Teresa, and Walls of Hope—all linked to Chance Letikva in part—were promoting campaigns that used the Angelholm clinic as a backdrop in Ukraine and that the same name appeared on several campaign registrations. The image above shows Viktoriia and her mother during the shooting.

The investigation also queried the networks’ fundraising model. Campaigns advertised exorbitant treatment costs and used emotionally charged narratives to push donors to give quickly. Charity experts say advertising should constitute no more than about 20% of total funds raised, a standard the networks are alleged not to meet. The BBC made repeated inquiries to Chance Letikva, Walls of Hope, Saint Raphael, Saint Teresa, and Little Angels; none of the organizations provided responses. The BBC also contacted relevant regulators and authorities: in Israel, the Corporations Authority noted that if there is evidence founders are using entities as a cover for illegal activity, registration could be denied and founders barred from the sector; in the United Kingdom, the Charity Commission urges donors to verify charity registration and contact the fundraising regulator if in doubt.

The families involved say they were misled about how the funds would be used and that the money was not delivered to support their children’s medical care. Olena Firsova, Viktoriia’s mother, said she felt sickened by the findings: “When your child is… hanging on the edge of life, and someone’s out there, making money off that. Well, it’s filthy. It’s blood money.” The BBC contacted Tetiana Khaliavka, Alex Kohen (who used an alias), and the organizations Chance Letikva, Walls of Hope, Saint Raphael, Little Angels, and Saint Teresa to request responses; none provided a reply.

The investigation also highlighted the gaps between reported fundraising totals and actual disbursements. Even as campaigns continue to solicit donations, families say they have not seen the promised funds, and in some cases, families report that the campaigns uploaded videos without their consent or knowledge, or that the money was spent on expenses unrelated to their child’s treatment. The BBC’s reporting noted that some campaigns claimed to be run by non-profit entities registered in multiple jurisdictions, complicating oversight and fundraising accountability. Some families involved have since pursued informal remedies, while regulators indicated that if evidence of misuse is found, enforcement actions could follow.

Additional reporting by: Ned Davies, Tracks Saflor, Jose Antonio Lucio, Almudena Garcia-parrado, Vitaliya Kozmenko, Shakked Auerbach, Tom Tzur Wisfelder, Kateryna Malofieieva, Anastasia Kucher, Alan Pulido and Neil McCarthy.

If you have information to add to this investigation, please contact simi@bbc.co.uk.