The focus of ABC News’ latest documentary series, “Scamanda,” is a young woman involved in a fraudulent cancer scheme.

This four-part series, inspired by a well-known podcast of the same name, tells the story of Amanda Riley, who claimed to be suffering from stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2012. However, the reality was quite different.

Riley created a blog titled “Lymphoma Can Suck It,” where she misleadingly informed her friends, church community, and broader audience that she was gravely ill. Her deception not only captivated many online but was also financially rewarding.

Through her meticulously crafted online persona, she garnered tens of thousands of dollars from sympathetic donors to cover her supposed medical costs. The charade was maintained until 2019, when a friend anonymously alerted investigative producer Nancy Moscatiello, who spent five years unmasking the truth.

Here’s everything you need to know about Amanda Riley, the focus of ABC News’ new docuseries “Scamanda,” along with details on how to watch it.

Who is Amanda Riley and What Was Her Scheme?

Riley was a young wife, mother, and devout Christian residing in San Jose, California.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Northern California, Riley devised a scheme to ask for donations to fund cancer treatments she never needed or received, sharing her false experiences online.

She went to extreme lengths to uphold her fraud, including shaving her head, fabricating medical records, persuading family members to back her claims, providing misleading testimonies, and attacking anyone who questioned her illness.

Federal prosecutors noted that 349 individuals donated over $100,000 to cover Riley’s fictitious medical expenses. In May 2022, she pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to this solicitation. She received a five-year prison sentence and was ordered to repay $105,000 to her victims.

Currently, Riley is completing the final portion of her sentence at a residential reentry center in Southern California after being released from a Texas prison in December 2024, according to ABC News.

How to Watch ‘Scamanda’

“Scamanda” is broadcast on Thursdays on ABC, with new episodes available for streaming on Hulu the following day. The series debuted on ABC on Thursday, January 30.