Tears for Sale: How Sick Children Were Used in Fake Online Charity Scams

A heartbreaking video shows a weak, bald seven-year-old boy looking into the camera.
He says, “I am seven years old. I have cancer. Please save my life.”

Millions of people who watched such videos believed they were helping sick children. They donated money, hoping it would pay for treatment. But a BBC investigation has revealed a dark and shocking truth — many of these charity videos were manipulated, and the money never reached the children.

How Children Were Forced to Cry on Camera

One mother from the Philippines shared her painful story. Her son Khalil really had cancer. A team came to record a video for an online donation campaign. The child did not want to be filmed.

According to his mother:

• Khalil was asked to shave his head

• A medical drip was added for drama

• A cut onion was placed near him to make his eyes water

• Menthol was applied under his eyes to force tears

• He was given an English script he didn’t understand or like

The family was promised that the video would help raise money for better treatment.

Money Was Raised — But Not Given to the Family

An online campaign raised $27,000 in Khalil’s name.
But his family was told the campaign failed.

They only received $700 for the video shoot.
One year later, Khalil passed away.

His mother later said:
“If that money really existed, my son might still be alive.”

BBC Finds a Global Charity Scam Network

BBC World Service Investigations found that this was not one case.

• At least 15 families said money raised in their children’s names never reached them

• In some cases, families didn’t even know campaigns were running

• About $4 million was raised using videos of sick children — families got nothing

These videos followed the same pattern:

• Crying children

• Emotional scripts

• Simple, low-cost production

• Heavy promotion on YouTube and Facebook

Who Was Behind It?

The BBC traced many campaigns to a network linked to a man named Erez Hadari, an Israeli citizen living between Canada, Israel, and the US.

Multiple charity names were used, including:

• Chance Letikva

• Walls of Hope

• Little Angels

• Saint Teresa

• Saint Raphael

Documents showed the same name appearing again and again.

When asked, Hadari did not respond to most questions. In one message, he claimed the organization “was never active” — without explaining further.

Families Across the World Were Affected

Victims were found in:

• Philippines

• Colombia

• Ukraine

• Ghana

One father said he was given hope when his daughter was sick. After filming, people kept demanding more photos. Later, they said the charity had “disappeared” — even though the video had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Experts Warn Donors to Be Careful

Charity experts say:

• No more than 20% of donations should go to advertising

• Donors should check if charities are officially registered

• If something feels emotional but unclear — pause before donating

A Mother’s Final Words

One mother, whose child now has cancer again, said:
“When your child is fighting for life and someone makes money from it — that is disgusting. It’s blood money.”

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