Scamanda review – the weird tale of a cancer faker who cheated her community out of thousands

This documentary about a megachurch attendee who took donations for her alleged treatment – and experienced numerous ‘miracles’ that kept her alive – is a great story. What a shame this telling isn’t the most thrilling

Wouldn’t life be easier without a conscience? Imagine the freedom. No guilt. No anxiety. No responsibilities deeply felt, no investment in what society thinks of you, no constraints on your behaviour … My God, what a life. And above all, think of the money you could make. Frankly, I’m pretty envious of all the bastards out there scamming for a living. If I could, I’d become the next Elizabeth Holmes or Bernie Madoff in a (stony) heartbeat.

Now I have a new grifter to envy: Amanda Riley. Scamanda (it’s a gift, really) is a documentary about her, made by ABC News Studios and first shown on Hulu last year. During her years-long pretence of having terminal cancer, Riley cheated her friends, church community and others out of thousands and thousands of dollars (the true amount will never be known because so much was given in untraceable cash) to cover her fictitious medical bills.

Scamanda aired on BBC Two and is on iPlayer now
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