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5-Year-Old Photo of Cancer Stricken Boy Used In Charity Scam

By Joie M Gahum | Update Date: Mar 04, 2017 07:48 AM EST

Kelly Incandela discovered that her 5-year-old son's photo was being used to ask donations for the child's funeral by a woman who is going around Brooklyn in New York City. Her son, Gianni is battling brain cancer. They have discovered the fraudulent activities involving her son's picture after Incandela's mother, Dee Tirado received an e-mail from a stranger asking if Gianni had already passed away.

The message was sent to Incandela's mother through the e-mail address on Gianni's GoFundMe page, which was officially set up by Gianni's grandmother, Tirado, CNN reports. The e-mail informed Tirado that a woman went to her store asking for donations for Gianni's funeral. The sender informed her about the incident because the GoFundMe page did not say anything about Gianni dying, which happens to be the truth.

After that unsolicited email, Tirado received another one from a man detailing a similar encounter together with a picture used while asking for donations, a picture of Gianni that is believed to be from a flyer posted at the store where Gianni's grandmother works.

The family is sickened by the idea that despite Gianni's conditions and how people are helping them through donations for Gianni, other people are using such opportunity to profit from Gianni's situation. Eventually, the woman who was using Gianni's picture to ask for donations went to Tirado's store, asking for donations for a different cause.

Tirado decided to call the police. However, after questioning the woman, the police let her go because it was not considered as a serious crime.

In other news, the book The Little Book of Big Heroes is now available for download on the Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens' website from March 2 onwards. Sales of the book as well as donations will go towards vital research to find a new and kinder treatment for young people fighting cancer.

Now, Gianni's family launched a new campaign in informing the public about these scammers. They have been using social media warning people not to give any form of donation and money to the woman who had wrongly taken advantage of her grandson's condition.

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