Australian kickboxer Tara Enoka faces fraud charges after allegedly faking cancer to raise over $25,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. Learn more about the case and its implications.
Australia, Bollywood Fever: An Australian kickboxer and mother-of-four, Tara Enoka, has been charged with faking cancer to fraudulently profit more than $25,000 from a GoFundMe campaign. Enoka was arrested on June 6 and appeared in a Perth court on Friday, facing one count of gains benefit by fraud for the alleged scam dating back to 2021.
Enoka, a professional fighter, claimed in a since-deleted YouTube video that she was battling breast and cervical cancer, promoting a crowdfunding page to solicit donations. Western Australian police allege that between March and September 2021, over 500 people from 16 countries donated more than $25,000 ($37,000 AUD) to Enoka, believing the funds would help her fight a ‘rare medical condition.’
Authorities claim the 35-year-old transferred the funds to her personal bank account before eventually deleting the GoFundMe campaign. “It will be alleged the woman had not been diagnosed with the medical condition as the fundraising account and supporting video claimed,” a police spokesman said.
In the YouTube video, which featured the hashtag #StandWithTara, Enoka tearfully stated, “We’re raising the money to help pay for the treatments that I need to potentially save my life so that I can be here for my kids to watch them grow up.” She also mentioned that she had “never been the type to ask anybody for help” but had learned “it is OK to ask for help.”
Since the alleged fraud came to light, GoFundMe announced it is “proactively” refunding all the donors. “All donors will be proactively refunded, and we have removed this fundraiser,” a GoFundMe spokesperson told NewsWire. “The beneficiary has also been banned from using the platform for any future fundraisers.”
The platform emphasized its commitment to donor protection, stating, “GoFundMe’s Giving Guarantee offers a full refund in the rare case when something isn’t right; this is the first and only donor protection guarantee in the crowd-funding industry.”
Little is known about Enoka’s kickboxing career, but she is slated to compete in the ANBF Australasian Lightweight Championship in August, according to a promotional poster.
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