Seattle woman who raised $400K for Komen accused of faking cancer

“After my initial breast cancer diagnosis just over four years ago at the age of 33, I was fortunate to receive advanced screening and new drugs that had just been approved, due to grants and funding by Susan G. Komen for the Cure”. In a story reported by KOMO News the owner of Auburn Volkswagen, Matthew Welch was interviewed and said he was told in person by a member of Team Tracy, her cancer fundraising organization, that Dart never had the disease.

Loso and the Susan G. Komen foundation expressed sadness for “Tracy and her family” and Loso said that the members of Team Tracy had been loyal supporters “of our mission to end breast cancer since 2006”. “I would say she needs help”. Judging by the media, he seems to reflect the charitable view of the community to the case.

Officials in Susan G. Komen’s Puget Sound, Washington, said they’ve been in contact with Dart’s family after learning she wasn’t diagnosed with the illness.

Yet, now some are saying 41-year-old Tracy Dart never had cancer at all and has been faking it for years.

Dart never received funds from the organization. The team captain said that they were notified by a family member of Tracy that she never suffered from cancer. This money has been used as intended – for Komen’s research and community health programs.

The allegation hasn’t been independently verified by Dart family, but while speaking to KING 5 News, they said that they have hired an attorney. “I can honestly say that the money raised through events such as the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, have saved my life”.

Tracy Dart, who is in her forties, was caught lying when she went to the doctor’s for a liver problem and no records of her cancer could be found, the West Seattle Herald reported.

Dart’s story is similar to that of former wellness blogger Belle Gibson who lied about having terminal brain cancer.

“I got another lumpectomy and started radiation”, Dart told the newspaper back in 2010, during her “second” bout of cancer.

Dart claimed she had survived breast cancer three times in total. At first, the business thought that Dart might be in a critical state. However, a link to a Team Tracy Blog was locked, and three of Dart’s Facebook pages related to her having cancer and fundraising to combat breast cancer had been disabled. A Seattle Police Department rep tells the New York Daily News that they’re in the loop, but it’s unclear whether an investigation has been opened to look into possible illegal activity.

It is not known if criminal charges are pending, but acting under false pretenses to collect funds is fraud and is a crime.