Dorothy, an influencer sat before the camera, tears in her eyes. "I have cancer," she said, her voice trembling. No sooner had she posted her video than comments flood in.
"Stay strong."
"We're with you."
Likes and shares exploded. Dorothy let out a wicked smile as she saw the likes and shares. "I'm going to be famous," she thought to herself. She documented it all: hospital visits, a shaved head and chemotherapy. As expected, brands reached out, news outlets picked up the story. She even started GoFundMe, a fundraising campaign. As the money poured in readily, Dorothy's ego inflated, and she started spending her ill-gotten money like water.
One day, Dorothy was doing yet another live stream. While live streaming to hundreds, a member of public typed, "I've seen her at the hospital pretending to be a patient while accompanying my mother for her follow-up medical review. She's fooling you all." The member of public even attached a photo of herself accompanying her mother to support her claim, and the photograph accidentally captured Dorothy. Chaos erupted like wildfire. In a panic, Dorothy ended the stream. As the story went viral, people started digging for the truth. There were no hospital records, no real treatments, nothing. It was all a scam. Once exposed, Dorothy's lies spread like wildfire. The internet turned against her, sponsors dropped her and followers vanished. Every post was flooded with hate. She had fabricated everything to gain sympathy, disregarding those who truly suffered. Her ill-gotten money was frozen, and she was facing legal prosecution, as members of the public had pressed charges against her for deception. Once adored, now she was abandoned and left to reap the consequences of her deception.
