London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Nov 04, 2026

Cancer faker who swindled more than £360,000 is ordered to pay back just £5

Cancer faker who swindled more than £360,000 is ordered to pay back just £5

A CANCER faker who conned wellwishers out of tens of thousands has been ordered to pay back just £5.

Nicole Elkabbas was sent to jail for two years and nine months last year after she was exposed for lying in an online fundraiser.

The mum-of-one tricked thousands into believing she had ovarian cancer

Meanwhile the con-artist spend well-wishers donations on her lavish lifestyle

Nicole was handed a jail sentence at Canterbury Crown Court


One fake appeal claiming she needed life-savingf treatment for ovarian cancer raised more than £52,000.

She splurged the cash on luxury foreign holidays and funding her gambling addiction.

Since the con artist's arrest, investigators calculated she raked in a staggering total of £360,000 through her criminal exploits.

But the shameless 44-year-old from Broadstairs, Kent, will only have to pay back a fiver in the next 28 days.

A court ruled the fraudster has no assets or any “realistic prospect” of paying back the whole sum at a confiscation hearing.

The mum-of-one tricked countless well-wishers into helping her afford life-saving ovarian cancer treatment that she never needed.

She made a Go Fund Me page that looked like it had been set up by her mum, who she cared for full-time.

The fake page was adorned with an old photo from a previous operation Nicole had had to remove her gall bladder months before.

As well as the frail hospital photo, the message on the page read that she was a "loving mum" who had been "recently diagnosed" but couldn't afford desperately needed medical care.

She listed a fake expert she claimed was treating her at a clinic in Barcelona while she was in fact enjoying the high life in Spain.

The "compulsive liar" funnelled the donations into her own accounts.

She used it to pay off mounting gambling debts and also splashed out on £3,000 Spurs box tickets and trips abroad.

At the time of her sentencing last year, Judge Mark Weekes said: "The deception was cunning and manipulative.

"You produced detail and at times a graphic account of the treatment you were receiving with a view to keeping those you had snared in your web of lies paying you money.

"You tugged at their heart strings. You made mention of your child to add to gild the lily still further and to attempt to wring more cash out of those you had deceived.

"All the while, you were gambling, enjoying shopping trips and luxuries in Italy and Spain at their expense."

He described Elkabbas' actions as "insulting to those who must genuinely and courageously face the battle against cancer".

One victim of Nicole's deception reported feeling "violated, used, betrayed, ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, depressed and deflated".

Katie Taylor was duped into posting a link to heartless Nicole Elkabbas's GoFundMe page on her Facebook group community of more than 18,000 members.

She said she had "felt sick, repulsed, in shock, stunned and could not function properly" when police told her in 2018 that the fundraising campaign was fake.

Katie added: "I couldn’t believe this was true, I felt small and really, really stupid.

"I felt like Nicole must have been laughing in my face at how gullible I was, it was so humiliating.

"How could someone take advantage of me and our group members like this for so many months?"


A spokesperson for GoFundMe said: “All donations were refunded in 2019 when the misuse allegations were raised. Misuse counts for less than one 10th of 1% of all activity on GoFundMe and in the very rare case there is misuse, we refund donations."


She was charged with six counts of raud

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Northern Ireland Executive Agrees on Multi-Year Public Sector Pay Restructuring Framework at Stormont
Department for Transport Confirms Acceleration of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout Along Strategic Motorways
Welsh Government Announces Emergency Funding Package to Support Agricultural Sector Facing Severe Weather Impacts
High Court Rules in Favor of Environmental Coalition Over Government Carbon Reduction Plan Deficiencies
Office for National Statistics Reports Stable Retail Sales Growth Supported by Strong Digital Commerce Volumes
Scottish First Minister John Swinney Secures Cross-Party Support for Renewable Energy Export Expansion
National Health Service Digital Reports Major Breakthrough in Reducing Elective Waiting Lists Across England
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Outlines Infrastructure Spending Reforms to Boost Regional Economic Growth Across Northern England
Bank of England Holds Baseline Interest Rate at Five Percent Amid Persistent Core Inflation Pressures
House of Lords Advances Representation of the People Bill to Modernize Electoral Law Ahead of General Election
Financial Markets and Private Equity Assess Tax and Corporate Realignment Following Recent Chancellor Budget Adjustments
Justice Committee Warns Legal Aid Is a Service in Managed Decline Due to Inadequate Government Funding Responses
Royal Navy Intercepts Russian Intelligence Vessel and Warships Across Intensive North Sea Operations
Business and Trade Committee Slams Government Policy on China as Fragmented and Lacking Strategic Direction
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood Softens Immigration Plans Following Intensive Cabinet Backlash Over Settlement Timelines
Automotive Industry Data Reveals Continued Acceleration in Battery Electric Vehicle Registrations Across British Dealerships
High Court of England and Wales Rules on Landmark Legal Challenge Regarding Local Government Housing Mandates
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Approves Expanded Offshore Wind Infrastructure Along Scottish Coastline
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Broad Investigation Into Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure and Cloud Partnerships
United Kingdom and European Union Launch High-Level Preparations for Bilateral Defense and Security Summit in Brussels
National Health Service England Unveils Emergency Workforce Reforms to Alleviate Winter Accident and Emergency Pressures
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Finalizes Autumn Budget Adjustments to Meet Fiscal Rules and Fund Public Services
Bank of England Prepares for Interest Rate Decision Amid Rising Bond Yields and Inflationary Pressures
House of Lords Begins Detailed Legislative Scrutiny of Representation of the People Bill and Cyber Security Laws
Metropolitan Police Detain More Than Three Hundred Individuals Following Large-Scale Demonstration Outside London Embassy
Home Office Prepares Stricter Residency Rules Requiring Vulnerable Migrants to Wait Decade for Settlement Rights
Professional Mental Health Bodies Demand Statutory Regulation for Counsellors and Psychotherapists
National Grid Confirms Construction of Britain's Largest Electrical Substation to Power Teesside Data Centre
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Travels to Samoa for Commonwealth Summit Amid Debates on Economic Cooperation and Reparations
Home Office Implements Enhanced Digital Border Controls and Visa Processing Systems at Major Airports
Office for National Statistics Reports Stable Employment Participation Rates Across Regional Labor Markets
Department for Business and Trade Announces Strategic Partnership to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
Scottish Government Unveils Regional Economic Development Strategy to Boost Advanced Manufacturing in Glasgow and Dundee
Treasury Officials Review Taxation Frameworks and Capital Gains Rules Ahead of Autumn Budget Disclosures
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Winter Capacity Pressures Across Acute Care Facilities
Bank of England Prepares for Key Interest Rate Decision Amid Sticky Inflation and Fiscal Policy Pressures
Home Office Expands Border Security Operations and Intelligence Sharing With European Partners
Office for National Statistics Reports Modest Retail Sales Growth Ahead of Crucial Christmas Trading Season
Welsh Government Unveils Strategic Plan to Boost Regional Technology Innovation and Digital Skills Training
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Implements New Agricultural Subsidies Framework for English Farmers
Scottish First Minister John Swinney Announces Major Regional Infrastructure and Green Energy Investment Strategy
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Severe Winter Pressures and Mounting Accident and Emergency Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Interest Rate Path Amid Persistent Services Inflation
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves Finalizes Autumn Budget Framework Aiming to Close Public Sector Fiscal Gap
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Prepares Enhanced Artificial Intelligence Safety and Cyber Defense Frameworks
United Kingdom Government Expands International Sanctions Framework Against Russian Shadow Fleet and Financial Enablers
Institute of Directors Reports Sharp Post-Budget Drop in Business Confidence Despite Long-Term Investment Intention Shifts
Chancellor John Healey Defends Sweeping Fiscal Adjustments and Household Support Packages Following Autumn Budget
Parliamentary Petitions Committee Schedules Major Legislative Debates on Special Educational Needs and Non-Stun Meat Labelling
Regional Devolution and Good Growth Fund Frameworks Reshape Local Government Funding Across English Regions
×