{"id":3846,"date":"2020-07-05T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-05T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zdg.md\/en\/?p=3846"},"modified":"2020-07-08T09:54:51","modified_gmt":"2020-07-08T06:54:51","slug":"online-charity-in-moldova-for-patients-borrowed-from-the-u-s-russia-and-romania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/online-charity-in-moldova-for-patients-borrowed-from-the-u-s-russia-and-romania\/","title":{"rendered":"Bogus Charities in Moldova Featuring Patients from the U.S., Russia, and Romania"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On social media platforms, fraudsters were trying to engage Moldovan citizens to donate money for bogus charities featuring children who were suffering from serious illnesses and needed money for urgent treatment or surgeries. ZdG investigated four charity scams and found out that in three of the cases the children featured in the photos as Moldovan are actually from Russia, Romania and the U.S. ZdG also found that no person featured in the photos benefitted from the money donated by people. One of the cases featured a message issued by the parents of a five-year-old girl with cancer, who were asking for 39,000 euros for an alleged treatment in Turkey. The case was even mediatized by a Moldovan media organization. However, ZdG found out that it was a forged case with data and pictures stolen from a little girl in Russia, whose case was made public on social networks by her mother. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After uncovering all four charity scams, ZdG found the person whose bank account was featured in the posts, Andrei Ou\u0219, and asked him about the cases. Ou\u0219 denied all the allegations and stated that he doesn\u2019t know anything, adding that he did not receive money from such schemes. ZdG verified his criminal record and found out that Ou\u0219 has four criminal cases, two for driving under the influence of alcohol and two for robbery and thief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Case of the Five-Year-Old Girl, Melisa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In May and June 2020, several Facebook accounts shared a post that featured the message of Melissa’s parents, whose five-year-old girl has cancer. In the Facebook post, Melissa’s parents were asking internet users for help to raise 160,000 euros, the money needed for expensive treatment in Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors of the post said that they collected 121,000 and they needed only 39,000 euros more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMy name is Verginia and I am addressing everyone who wants to save a baby. We, (Melli) and I, are in Turkey and have already undergone four courses of chemotherapy. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only thing I can tell you is the diagnosis – Neuroblastoma, stage four, with liver and lung metastases. After surgery, stem cell transplantation will follow. I beg you, please help me give the girl a chance to live. Every help counts,\u201d<\/em> the post stated. The post also contained several pictures with a woman and a child, apparently sick, as well as bank details through which people could donate money (account number, card number, and e-mail address of the so-called girl’s father – ousandrei2@gmail.com, for transfers via PayPal).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The post stated that the bank details belonged to Andrei Ou\u0219. The post even featured Ou\u0219’s personal identification number (IDNP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Initially, the post was created on June 12, from a Facebook profile named Verginia Ous. In the following days, Verginia’s profile was blocked. However, the post asking for help was taken over by another profile, named Melisa Mosnoi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The post was shared in dozens of Facebook groups, including Moldovan groups created for the diaspora. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 25, a Facebook page called Save Melli<\/a> was created, which shared the same message and the same pictures with the girl who would have cancer. The post asking for help was shared dozens of times on the personal profiles of some Facebook users, who felt sorry for the child. The case was even mediatized by a Moldovan media organization, on the jurnal.md<\/a>, but it was later deleted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa Ou\u0219 from Moldova is, in Fact, Mila Zainidinova from Russia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ZdG established that the message asking for help featuring Melissa Ous, that was shared on social media platforms was a bogus charity, produced by fraudsters who aim to pocket donations from people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pictures and facts about the terrible disease belong to Mila Zainidinova, a little girl from Russia, whose case was made public on social networks by her mother, Natalia Zainidinova. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following a charity campaign, Mila’s family managed to raise the necessary amount of money. The girl underwent cancer treatment in South Korea. The girl’s Instagram account, as well as her mother’s profiles, contain hundreds of photos and information about the progress of Mila’s treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The photos from these accounts, alongside with data about the disease, were copied and used to produce the bogus charity in among Moldovan internet users. The fraudsters created some so-called documents issued by South Korea in the name of Virginia Ou\u0219 and Mila Ou\u0219, using photo editing tools, to be more convincing and add credibility to the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Case of Constantin, Who Suffers from Butterfly Disease<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before the case of Mila Ou\u0219, the same Facebook profile (now named Melisa Mo\u0219noi) shared in Facebook groups the case of Constantin, who suffers from butterfly disease (epidermolysis bullosa), a rare but extremely severe disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The infection affects the skin, which becomes so fragile that any touch can cause painful wounds. In the shared Facebook posts, it was said that \u201cpatients suffering from this serious genetic disease have lots of restrictions and need huge amounts of money to sustain their lives. I hope to be heard, maybe one day I will find the remedy against this ordeal I am going through\u201d<\/em> (the original text contained misspellings, ed. note). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, the post included several shocking pictures of the boy with the butterfly disease, as well as the bank accounts, so that generous people could donate money for Constantin. The bank details are the same as those displayed by the fundraiser for Mila Ou\u0219.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ZdG found the boy suffering from the butterfly disease. Indeed, his name is Constantin. He is from Cini\u0219eu\u021bi, Rezina district, north of Moldova. He has been fighting this disease since early childhood. Now, Constantin is 22 years old. He told us that an unknown person, without his consent, took his pictures from his page. He also mentioned that this person is using his illness and pocketing donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Constantin, the boy with the butterfly disease<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Elena Gorbatenchi, Constantin’s mother, says that she also found out that an unknown person is using her son’s illness to make money and declares that she filed a complaint with the police. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are other posts made as if by Costel, but I don’t know how to identify these people. I do not know how to search the internet. I found out about this (the posts made by Melisa Mo\u0219noi\u2019s profile, ed. note), and I filed a complaint with the police. They told me that they already know who the person is, and the bank knows\u2026 Nevertheless, the posts continue to appear. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We never gave anyone the bank details. We have the group \u201cLet’s help Constantin\u201d on Facebook, his pictures are there, but we never gave bank details, only phone numbers. The fact is, I never hide and I give an explanation of where we live to whoever wants to help, so they can come and see Costel anytime,\u201d<\/em> the woman claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ion G\u00e2rlea, the district police officer from Cini\u0219eu\u021bi, confirms that Elena Gorbatenchi’s complaint was registered on May 19, this year, and says that he is examining the case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am currently managing the case, but no decision has been made yet. I am still working,\u201d<\/em> the police officer told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Case, of a Girl Named Sandra<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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On June 26 and 28, this year, another Facebook post, requesting help, appeared in Facebook groups, including communities of Moldovan citizens abroad. This time, the post was made from a Facebook profile named Andriusha Malenkii (\u0410\u043d\u0434\u0440\u044e\u0448\u0430 \u041c\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043d\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439). We render the ad, with only a few spelling corrections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAttention, people of good faith, very urgent!!!! Hi, my name is Andrian and it is really painful when you break up with your wife in a most terrible moment. My wife became a stranger to me and to Sandra when she found out that the little girl is sick. She doesn’t want to know us anymore. Help, please, share. Every penny is valuable for my dear little girl named Sandra … please be kinder. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandra has a malignant schwannoma. She is struggling with the disease and there are persistent positive dynamics! But I cannot afford to pay the full cost of treatment on my own and I turn to caring people: Please help me save my little girl whom I love so much! Anyone who loves their family knows what it means. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, a fee for the fourth course of treatment is available at a cost of 12,000 euros. Then two more courses of treatment are required. Without full payment for each course, chemotherapy will not be started! A reposting, sharing, or any financial assistance – all of these are extremely important! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please – help the child fighting against the disease! Give life a chance! TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THREE COURSES: 36,000 euros. At the moment we have somewhere around 16,000 euros … <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am going to sell the house just to see my little girl enjoy her childhood like all children. Excuse me, if I wrote something with mistakes but I came back from Russia after 15 years.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Moldovans Sandra and Andrian are the Americans Abby and Matt<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The post also included several pictures, featuring a girl with short hair, specific of cancer patients. Next to her, there is a man, and the pictures imply he could be Andrian, the author of the post, with his daughter Sandra. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bank details attached to this post are different from those from the posts telling about Mila and Costel’s case. However, the email address for transfers via PayPal (andy_ous@mail.ru) is similar to the email address published in Mila’s case (ousandrei2@gmail.com). Both contain the first name Andrei and the last name Ou\u0219, which suggests that the same person is involved in all three bogus charities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alleged pictures of Andrian and his daughter Sandra belong to a little girl from New York, the U.S., named Abby, suffering from cancer. In the pictures, she appears with Matt Hickling, the nurse who took care of her in hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July 2015, news about the little girl with leukemia and her nurse were massively shared on social media platforms from countries around the world. The four-year-old girl became so attached to the nurse who treated her that she told her mother she wanted to marry him. The girl’s mother informed Matt, and he, with the help of his medical colleagues, surprised the little patient and organized a fictitious wedding in the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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