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Woman Allegedly Faked Deadly Cancer Diagnosis To Trick Coworkers Into Giving Her Money
Some became suspicious of Jessica Krecskay's cancer story after she neglected to update people on the status of her disease after allegedly accepting money from her coworkers for years.
A woman from Northern Kentucky has been accused of faking a cancer diagnosis in order to garner sympathy and ultimately money from her peers.
Jessica Krecskay, 25, was indicted for theft by deception exceeding $10,000 for allegedly raising money under false pretenses — aka claiming she was sick when in reality she was not. She was arrested on Valentine’s Day.
Prosecutors claim Krecskay told her coworkers in Edgewood, Kentucky several years ago that she was diagnosed with cancer, according to local outlet WKRC-TV. Her coworkers reportedly started giving her money to help with her medical bills; in fact, allegedly her boss was even paying some of her household bills.
She worked at a weight loss business, according to WXIX-TV in Cincinnati. Her former coworker at that location Jessica Lunsford told WXIX-TV that Krecskay claimed she was dying after ovarian cancer spread throughout her body.
“The other girls at work would clean her house for her, take her out to eat all the time," said Lunsford. "Gave their own sick time and vacation time hours to go towards her.”
She allegedly received over $10,000 from concerned friends and coworkers.
But not everyone was buying the story apparently.
Prosecutor Rob Sanders told Cincinnati.com that some became suspicious, especially as Krecskay refrained from giving updates on her health.
"Publicity from another fake cancer case prompted those same people to report their suspicions about this defendant to police," Sanders explained. “Anytime someone uses a false claim of such a dreaded disease for fraudulent purposes, it evokes understandably angry and emotional responses from the many people who actually battle cancer or love someone battling cancer.”
Lunsford told WXIX-TV that managers at their workplace asked for documentation after co-workers raised their suspicions, and Krecskay then stopped showing up for work.
She worked at an urgent care center at the time of her arrest, according to Cincinnati.com.
Krecskay was released from jail on a $2,500 bond. Her arraignment will be on March 4. It’s not clear if she has a lawyer who can speak on her behalf at this time.
If convicted, Krecskay could face up to 10 years behind bars.
