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Mother allegedly fakes son’s cancer, gets donations for Disneyland trip

23 ABC News at 6:00am

A Colorado mother is the latest parent to allegedly fake her child's illness -- a supposed scam that resulted in $25,000 worth of community donations and a free trip to Disneyland.

Sandy Nguyen, 28, was arrested last week on charges related to theft and criminal impersonation, reports ABC.

Nguyen allegedly convinced her 6-year-old son that he had terminal cancer and shaved his head, soliciting donations from sympathetic community members.

"He's an amazing little kid, and I can't imagine anybody doing this to a child," Jordan Miller, who's known Nguyen for years, tells local news station 9News.

Miller and her husband donated several hundred dollars to support the young boy. Her husband even shaved his head in solidarity.

Investigators say a fake bank account was set up by the Nguyen family, who began collecting money in September 2013. They believe no one else knew about the scam.

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Nguyen reportedly admitted to police that her son does not have cancer.

The alleged scam involved a 5K benefit run, school donations, a Facebook charity page (which has since been removed) and a flyer claiming the boy had eight months to live.

This isn't the first time a mother has allegedly faked their child's terminal illness.

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Last November, a Utah mother found herself behind bars after she admitted she faked her daughter's cancer while receiving $3,000 in community donations.

And last April, a New Jersey mother was arrested for allegedly faking her 9-year-old son's lymphoma, which resulted in $3,500 worth of donations from family and friends.