The Child Cancer Scam: 1. The video

Summary

World of Secrets: The Child Cancer Scam

Episode 1: The Video
BBC | December 15, 2025

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Episode Overview

The season premiere of World of Secrets immerses listeners in the harrowing world of international charity scams targeting desperate families of ill children. Through the real-life ordeal of Algin Tabasa and her son Khalil in Cebu, Philippines, the BBC exposes how hope is manipulated—and donations redirected—by a foreign-led operation. The episode sets up a bigger investigation into how professionally-produced “help my child” videos are crafted, monetized, and exploited, all while families wait for money that may never come.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Faked Celebration—At the Expense of Dignity

• The episode opens with Algin Tabasa, her critically ill son Khalil, and their family arriving at a hospital room festooned with balloons and banners—not for healing, but for a staged video orchestrated by a foreign “sponsor”.

• Manipulative Tactics:

  • Khalil’s head is forcefully shaved to “look sick.”
  • Medical props, including fake IVs, are used to intensify emotional impact.
  • Menthol ointment and onions are employed to induce tears for the camera.

  “They rubbed menthol ointment on his face and put onions in front of his eyes so that he would fake cry.”
  —Algin Tabasa (Mother), [04:45]

2. Family Life Before Crisis

• The show grounds listeners in Algin’s world: a crowded, lively Cebu household filled with multiple generations, noise, and laughter.

• Khalil’s Early Childhood:

  • Described as happy, loving, goofy—a kid who loved TikTok, sweets, and dreamed of becoming a policeman.
  • Signs of illness: bruises, swollen belly, nosebleeds, long fevers.

  “Khalil was always playing with his brother and sisters and he loved to hug me every day... He wanted to be a policeman when he grew up.”
  —Algin Tabasa (Mother), [08:10]

3. Diagnosis and Desperation

• July 2022: Khalil, age 7, is diagnosed with leukemia.

• The family quickly faces insurmountable medical bills; Algin, earning only $8/day, pleads for help everywhere.

• Referred through a contact to a local man, Roy Inchiato, who claims to connect families with foreign donors.

  “The doctor insisted that Khalil start chemotherapy immediately so his condition wouldn’t worsen… We were faced with a very large bill.”
  —Algin Tabasa, [10:55]

4. ‘Auditioning’ for a Sponsor

• Roy requests an initial home video as an “audition”—a harrowing sample of Khalil pleading for donations.

• Communication is persistent, detailed, and controlling. Roy provides scripts and feedback; Algin is instructed exactly what to say and film.

  “Listen, Jin. This opportunity comes only once. So let’s make the most of it... All of us will benefit from the good things we do.”
  —Roy Inchiato (Sponsor’s Representative), [12:37]

• Roy’s instructions make the process transactional and urgent.

5. The Foreign Sponsor Arrives

• After months of promises and delays (cited religious holidays, script preparation), a bearded, heavyset Canadian named Erez arrives.

• Algin is given 40,000 pesos (approx. $700), with the promise of 100,000 pesos ($1,500) monthly if the video is successful—life-changing sums in the Philippines.

  “He told me if the video clicked, he’d give us 100,000 pesos per month.”
  —Algin Tabasa, [22:28]

• Algin signs a contract quickly—never shown a copy, unsure what she is agreeing to.

6. Production: Deception in the Name of Charity

• Erez directs both a home shoot and the emotionally-manipulative hospital video.

• Family must portray anguish and suffering according to orchestrated scripts.

  “They set up some medical props. The IVs weren't real. Everything was staged.”
  —Algin Tabasa, [02:58]

• The destination and actual use of the video remain opaque; Algin is told little about where donations will go.

  “He didn’t tell us where we would see the video. They just told us they were going to upload it to social media. But he didn’t give us a link.”
  —Algin Tabasa, [24:22]

7. After the Cameras: Waiting for Hope

• Months pass; no further payments arrive.

• Erez claims the campaign was “not successful,” effectively cutting off family support.

  “He told us it wasn’t successful. So, as I understood it, the video just didn’t make any money.”
  —Algin Tabasa, [24:43]

8. A Journalist Uncovers a Pattern

• The BBC’s Simi Jalaosho (narrator) discovers similar “sick child” videos while online—with large sums visible in donation tallies, little real transparency, and a recurring logo, “Chance Latecva”.

  “It’s of a little girl with a shaved head, tears streaming down her cheeks... When I click on the campaign link, I see it’s raised US$450,000 and counting.”
  —Simi Jalaosho (Narrator), [26:19]

• Versions of Khalil’s video are also found online, this time styled for other children and in multiple languages, all showing the same manipulative techniques.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the pressure of faking the video:

  “I was standing by Khalil’s side... He was telling us what to do and what to say, how to say it.”
  —Algin Tabasa, [03:11]

• On family poverty and desperation:

  “Please help us, sir. We can't pay the doctor anymore. We really don't have anything left. Not even a peso.”
  —Algin Tabasa, [12:51]

• On realization and betrayal:

  “We did everything he asked us to do so that we could get the help that we needed and he kept that from us. I trusted him a lot and that’s what he did to me.”
  —Algin Tabasa, [28:59]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:31 – Algin and Khalil arrive at staged hospital shoot
• 02:11 – Instructions to fake Khalil’s birthday
• 04:45 – Onions and menthol used to force tears
• 07:54 – Algin describes Khalil’s childhood
• 09:26 – Khalil’s health deteriorates
• 10:45 – Details of the family’s financial struggle
• 12:37 – “Opportunity comes only once” – Roy’s persuasion
• 15:14 – Khalil recites sponsor’s script
• 21:33 – The contract with Erez is signed
• 22:12 – Algin receives $700 cash up front
• 24:04 – Hospital filming with staged props
• 24:43 – Campaign deemed “unsuccessful” by Erez
• 26:19 – Discovery of similar charity scam videos online
• 28:23 – Khalil featured in a global donation campaign

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Tone and Style Notes

The episode maintains an empathetic, investigative, yet restrained tone—balancing the raw emotions of the families with the meticulous, persistent probing of the BBC team. Dialogue is often direct, vulnerable, and laden with both hope and betrayal.

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Conclusion

Episode 1 establishes The Child Cancer Scam as a complex, emotionally-charged investigation that exposes not just international charity fraud, but the profound vulnerabilities of families in crisis. It leaves listeners with crucial questions: where do these donations go, who profits, and can such exploitation ever be justified by a promise of hope?

To Come:
What is the global reach of this scam? How many families and donors are caught in its web? The investigation continues in the next episode.

Transcript

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

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[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Who wouldn't?

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

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[Jacob Goldstein (Podcast Host)]

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[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Algin squeezes her son's hand as they walk along the hospital corridors. She's focused. Her husband and the rest of their children follow closely behind. They find the right place and push the door open into a brightly lit treatment room. They see colorful balloons strung up around a bed. There's an oxygen tank and a drip, but there are no doctors or nurses in the room, just a camera crew waiting. This is what Algin says happens next.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

They had already set up balloons and a banner. They'd invited my whole family, my husband and children, so that we could fake the celebration. We had to pretend that it was Kahlil's birthday.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Algin sees the local Filipino man who set this up and the foreigner. He's stocky with a beard and sounds North American. The man looks closely at her seven year old boy, Khalil. He wants to make sure one of his conditions has been met.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He insisted that we shaved off Khalil's hair so that we could convince people watching that Kahlil was very sick.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

They hook up Khalil's hand to a drip.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

They set up some medical props. The IVs weren't real. Everything was staged.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

This is all part of the production, which the foreigner is directing.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He was telling us what to do and what to say, how to say it. I was standing by Khalil's side.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

The cameramen move into position. One of them is holding up a script for Khalil to read lines he's been practicing.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

Hello, my name is Khalil. I am seven years old and I have cancer. I'm in a hospital and it hurt me a lot. I want to go play like my friend.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Khalil doesn't want to do any of this. Algin has to convince him, telling him they need the money.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

I love dad and mom. I want to go home. I don't want to die now. I have dreams.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

With the cameras rolling, the foreigner tells Khalil's siblings to come over and wish him a happy birthday.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Also asking him questions like what was his birthday wish? And asking us what our birthday wishes were for Khalil.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

None of them are in a party mood, but they're trying to follow instructions by clapping and singing Today is my birthday. But the foreigner doesn't want Khalil to look happy. He tells one of the crew to bring out onions. They're chopped up on a plate in front of him.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

They rubbed menthol ointment on his face and put onions in front of his eyes so that he would fake cry.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

I have a family that I love. Please save my life and help me.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

The foreigner asks for retake. After retake, he wants the perfect shot. Finally, he looks satisfied. Twelve hours later, the shoot is over. The camera crew quickly packs up. Aljun wipes the tears from Khalil's eyes as they all leave the hospital and head home. Exhausted, her mind's replaying what has just happened over and over. Will she regret it? This is world of secrets season 10 the child cancer scam. A BBC world service investigation I'm simi jalaosho. Episode one the video. Algin Tabasa still lives in the house where she grew up, in a crowded neighborhood in Cebu in the Philippines.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

We have lots of family living in one house. My father, my mother, and then my sister and her kids and her husband. And then my brother and his wife and his two kids and me, my husband, our kids.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

So the house is rarely quiet.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

When I wake up in the morning, our home is always so busy because of all the kids getting ready for school.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

And as it's hot and humid, the doors are left open. Motorbikes weave through the narrow alleyways as music blasts from speakers. Algin has long dark hair and a shy smile that never quite leaves her face. It's often then halfway between laughter and thoughtfulness. She had her first child at 20 and then two years later, Khalil came along. There's a photo of him in the corner of the living room with a cheeky grin, wearing an I Love New York beanie.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Khalil was a very happy child. He was very loving towards his siblings and towards me.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Khalil has a brother and two sisters. Alja moves between English and Tagalog, so at those times an actor is voicing her words.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

One is Kimberly. She's deaf and mute. Then I have Kendra. She's now eight years old and the youngest is Kairi. Khalil was always playing with his brother and sisters and he loved to hug me every day. And at night he always wanted to sleep right next to me. He had a lot of friends and he just wanted to be outside all the time, running around. He wanted to be a policeman when he grew up.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

In this video taken on Algin's phone, Khalil is jumping on a trampoline and whizzing down a slide at a friend's birthday party. When he smiles, you can see he really likes sweets.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He didn't have any teeth because he was always eating sweets and sucking on lollipops. And even though he didn't have any teeth, he didn't care. He'd just be smiling. He liked walking around without a top on and he loved to dance on TikTok with his cousins. He would get angry though, if you tried to take away the mobile phone.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

But then he started getting sick.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

His body had lots of bruises and his tummy swelled up and he had this never ending fever. It's hard to explain how I was feeling. When his nose started bleeding and he kept getting worse, we rushed him to the hospital.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

In July 2022, Khalil was diagnosed with leukemia. He was just seven years old.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

We were lost. We didn't know what we were going to do. Our whole world crashed. He always asked, mommy, what's happening to me? But I didn't want to talk to him about it because I didn't want him to be sad. Then when he started chemo, he knew what was happening to him.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

When he started his chemo, before he.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Was sick, he was slim. But when he was doing chemotherapy, his face became more and more swollen. He actually put on a lot of weight. The strong chemo medicine also gave him intense mood swings. But the moods never lasted long. Just a few minutes. Then he'd be smiling again. He still forced himself to stay happy, even Though he was suffering, her husband.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Jozen, stopped working as a janitor in order to look after Khalil. So they only had Algin's wage, the $8 a day she earned at a local pharmacy.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

The doctor insisted that Khalil start chemotherapy immediately so his condition wouldn't worsen and the cancer wouldn't spread. We were faced with a very large bill. I really needed money for Kahlil's treatment. That's when my search for financial aid began. I looked everywhere, calling and messaging everyone I could find.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

In August 2022, one of those people who she says worked for the government put her in touch with someone. A local guy who said he knew a sponsor who could help her.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He just told us that the sponsor wasn't from around here and that all we would have to do is make a video to earn the money.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Algin was running out of options, so she didn't hesitate. They start messaging.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Sir, please help us sponsor us, sir. Because our doctor might give up on us since we can't pay him anymore. Thank you very much, sir.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

We will do everything. Jane, give me your child's full name, age, and complete address.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

The local man is called Roy Inchiato. Algen describes Roy as a tall man, neatly dressed, who always carried a briefcase. First, he wants Algin to make a video of Khalil on her phone. It's like an audition, he says. If it's successful with a sponsor, then a proper film will be made to raise money for the family. Roy calls Algin Jin.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Listen, Jin. This opportunity comes only once. So let's make the most of it. Let's help each other. Because all of us will benefit from the good things we do. Okay?

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Just tell us what to do, sir. We'll follow as best we can. Please help us, sir. We can't pay the doctor anymore. We really don't have anything left. Not even a peso.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Over the next few days and weeks, they exchange text messages and voice notes.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Sir, I'll make the video later because the neighbors are still a bit noisy right now.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

He explains exactly what he wants in this video.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Jin, don't forget to send me a video that includes his name, age, and details about his condition, including the stage of his cancer.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

Huh?

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Let's do our best to secure their support, okay?

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Roy says he's in touch with a sponsor abroad. And he guides Algin through this application process.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

And have the camera facing forward. Jin.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

I am Al Jin Tabasa, introducing my family. And this is Khalil Jaden, my son. He is now suffering from Acute lipoblastic leukemia Cancer of the blood. We badly need needed yours support for him and we are knocking on your generous heart for my son because we don't have enough financial because of our status My husband husband has no word.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Videos go back and forth between Algin and Roy and the sponsor.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

I and my family begging needed your support please. We are hoping that you choose my son for your for your support support so that he can have her fully recover for his illness. God bless and thank you. Bye bye.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

The sponsor also wants to see Khalil reading the lines.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

My name is Khalil Jaden Bilamur Tabasa. I need your support my chemotherapy we can my mother and my father because I don't have money. I have cancer of the blood. I am my chemotherapy. I have no money for my treatment. I want to be a normal kid. I want to go to school. Please help me. Please.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Roy sends the videos to to the sponsor to review and Algen waits anxiously for their decision.

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Want to sell your car your way?

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Who wouldn't?

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

That's why CarMax offers a car selling experience designed just for you with online and in store options. Want to know what your car is worth quickly? Get an online offer in under two minutes. Want to think it over? Use OfferWatch to keep tabs on your car's value over time. Plus, CarMax offers flexible selling options with express drop off in store or pick up at home. Selling your car is in your control with CarMax. Want to drive Carmax pickup not available everywhere. Restrictions and fee may apply. See carmax.com for details.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

As America's most trusted movers, Mayflower has seen it all. From big dreams and new beginnings.

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

All right, here we are.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Oh, it's perfect.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

To first steps and fixer uppers from starter homes.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

So guess what? We're having another.

[Jacob Goldstein (Podcast Host)]

Another.

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

We definitely need more space to more practical homes.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Yes, Mayflower has been there for it all and we'll always have your back.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Every moment, every move, every step of the way. Schedule your move now by going to.

[Jacob Goldstein (Podcast Host)]

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[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Hello, Jen.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

A week later, Roy gets back in touch.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Good morning, Jin. I'm pleased to inform you that the boss is happy. And he said he is proud to support Khalil. Okay. They've seen the child and even mentioned that he is courtless to God is really great. They are already making the contract.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Okay, sir. I'm very thankful to God, sir. I even went to Santo Ninho to pray. Thank you very much, sir.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

But weeks pass without any news and she starts to worry.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Hello, Mr. Roy. We just want to ask if there's any update.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Ah, you will know, Jean. I'll call you once it's ready, okay? The Canada Group is working on your contract. Just be ready when I call you, okay? At least you won't have to worry anymore, Jean. Like about what to cook. And your husband can go back to working again and be at peace.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Yes, sir. It's been such a heavy burden. Especially since we don't have money to buy food anymore.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Just stay positive. God is praiseworthy.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Amen, sir.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

There is no mention in these messages of the amount of money Ao Jin will receive over the next four months. They keep texting and then in December, Roy sends a message.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Next week.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Please be very available with one very specific demand.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

If Khalil's hair grows back, you need to shave it again. Because filming will begin. We already have the script and shooting will start next week. We made an effort, Jin. Okay? So that at least you will have a little advance payment for celebrations at Christmas. So congratulations and continue praying. This will be seen worldwide and will help us gain financial assistance.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Finally, to Algin's relief, the foreigner is coming from Canada all the way to the Philippines to film Kalil. After the foreign sponsor arrives in Cebu, you can hear him instructing Roy in this voice note to Algen.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

I have.

[Jacob Goldstein (Podcast Host)]

I downloaded the messenger. Okay.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Wait.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

You don't have to send by WhatsApp. Send here like you sent what's his name? Because I just don't want to mix up everything.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Take your time.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Jen.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Please send me a picture of Khalil from when he was first diagnosed. Maybe on Wednesday we can begin filming.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Aljun and her family are on standby as the filming date and location keep moving. Roy tells Algin the sponsor is taking part in a Jewish religious festival.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Good morning, sir. Are you on your way?

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

Erez is still busy with Hanukkah. Maybe it will be next week instead. Get ready next week. Monday. We will film after you sign.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Her fingers are tightly crossed.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He explained that first we would meet the sponsor to receive our money for Khalil's medication and sign the contract. Then the following day, we would make the video.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Algen meets this foreign sponsor just after Christmas in 2022.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He introduced himself as Erez, and he said he was from Canada. He was a very fat man with a beard, and he wore a very small hat on the top of his head.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

She's talking about a kippah, the Jewish head covering for men.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

When I met him, it was the happiest day because he gave us the money that we really needed, nobody else had.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

He gave me 40,000 pesos, so $700 up front. But there's more.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He told me if the video clicked, he'd give us 100,000 pesos per month.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

That's $1,500 each month. If the video gets lots of clicks or donations, that's a lot of money. In the Philippines, where the average monthly salary is only around $300. Algin hopes this will pay for Khalil's expensive cancer treatment. The first shoot is at Algin's home.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

When they came to film the video in the house, they brought food for the family. Khalil really didn't want to shoot that day. He was shy. And also he told me he didn't like Erez. He had a bad feeling about him from the beginning. But I had to convince him to just do the videos so that we could afford his medication. They promised him toys and whatever he wanted if he agreed to film the video. Then we started to film the video after we ate.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Algin says she signed a contract presented by Erez.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

We had to sign the contract to receive the 40,000 pesos. It was as if they were in some kind of rush.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

She says she wasn't sure what she was signing and wasn't given a copy.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

It was wrong of us not to take a photo of the contract. At the time, I just went with the flow. I would have done anything to get the medicine for Khalil. What was important to us was that someone would help us.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

After filming at the house, Algen says Erez directed the shoot at the hospital. That shoot where they fake the birthday party and use onions to make Khalil cry. Before Algin leaves, she says she asked Erez where the videos would be going.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He didn't tell us where we would see the video. They just told us they were going to upload it to social media. But he didn't give us a link.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Months pass after the filming, and Algin is waiting for news. She Messages Erez directly asking what's happening with the campaign.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

He told us it wasn't successful. So as I understood it, the video just didn't make any money.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Nearly a year later, I'm at home in London watching videos on the couch when this advert pop pops up. It's of a little girl with a shaved head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

My name is Alexandra and I have cancer. I cannot jump or dance. All I can do is arm my back.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

She looks no older than 10. Her father is holding her in his arms in a hospital ward.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

God is with us.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

You to get it.

[Jacob Goldstein (Podcast Host)]

Okay?

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Okay, okay. She says her treatment will cost a lot of money that her parents just don't have.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

They said that if I don't get healed now, I have a few months to live. Please, please help me get work. Please.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

The video ends with a large text on the screen. Donate now and save Alexandra's life. Some of the donors have left. I pray you're receiving treatment and healing, finding comfort in God and keeping good spirits in your fight. Stay strong. It was only $25.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

My contribution is meaningless by itself. Please don't let our donations be in vain.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

When I click on the campaign link, I see it's raised US$450,000 and counting. I scroll down, looking closer. There are no updates about her well being, no information about her family. It feels like something isn't right here. Then I come back across loads of these slickly produced videos on Facebook and YouTube of ill looking children speaking in lots of different languages, All pleading for money. They all want to survive cancer. There's Matthew, Anna, Hector, Shafu and many more. Then I see another video about a boy called called Kahlil.

[Roy Inchiato / Sponsor's Representative]

I'll be the one if you want me to.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

If I don't get the financial support. The doctors gave Khalil three months to leave.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

The headline on his campaign page reads. Mom, why am I having trouble breathing?

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

I love my son so much.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

He's sitting on a hospital bed wearing a yellow top. His head is bald. There are balloons.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

Today is my birthday. I am 8 years old and my next birthday I want to celebrate with my friend.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

In the corner of Khalil's campaign is a logo of the sun held in the palm of a hand and the name Chance Latecva with the slogan Bringing hope to Life. Tikva means hope in Hebrew. It says US$27,000 has been donated to Khalil.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

As I understood it, the video just didn't make any money.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

Many of these campaigns seem to have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. What is going on here?

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

We did everything he asked us to do so that we could get the help that we needed and he kept that from us. I trusted him a lot and that's what he did to me.

[Narrator / Simi Jalaosho]

That's next time on World of Secrets. This has been episode 1 of 6 of season 10 of World of Secrets. The child cancer scam from the BBC World Service. Thank you for listening. Please share and tell people about it and follow or subscribe so you don't miss an episode. The child cancer scam is presented and investigated by me, Simi Jalaosho with Jack Goodman and Ned Davis in the Philippines. Our reporter is Track Sefloor. It's written and Produced by Neil McCarthy and Rob Wilson. Rebecca Henchke is the executive producer and the sound design and mix is by Andy Fell. Voice over by Jay Baruzzi and Jerry Magnae. It's a BBCI production for the BBC World Service.

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Limu Emu and Doug.

[Jacob Goldstein (Podcast Host)]

Here we have the Limu emu in.

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Its natural habitat, helping people customize their.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual.

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Algin Tabasa (Mother)]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera.

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty.

[Khalil (Child with leukemia)]

Liberty.

[CarMax/Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Liberty Savings Fairy underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company Affiliates excludes Massachusetts.