EVANSVILLE, Ind — Drivers in Evansville have seen a surge of panhandlers asking to donate to help a young girl in her fight against cancer.
But there's one looming question - Who is Jessica?
Signs held by those working the roadside asking for money say Jessica is an 8-year-old girl with a brain tumor who needs surgery to save her life. There's also a QR code, which redirects to a GoFundMe page that has raised nearly $14,000 for Jessica, but no donations have been made in four years. No updates have been made from the girl's family since March of 2019.
An investigation by 13News affiliate WFIE in Evansville discovered the signs aren't limited to southwestern Indiana. They've been spotted in Charlotte, North Carolina and Tampa, Florida, too.
"These people were getting a ton of money every day," said Courtney Carr, who saw the signs in Charlotte.
She said when she tried to scan the QR code, the signholder would turn away, instead reaching out their bucket, asking for cash.
Carr, who works as a nurse, became suspicious. She knew the girl wasn't local from her work with cancer patients, but wanted to learn more.
She messaged the creator of the GoFundMe page, Cliff Fontenot, who is Jessica's uncle, but last posted a Facebook update on his niece in May 2019.
Still, people ask about Jessica.
In January, he replied to one comment, saying his niece was "doing well," but that she hadn't gotten any donations. Medical records posted to the fundraising site declared the girl "surgically healed" after an operation in February 2019.
Eventually, WFIE crews began to approach those holding the signs to ask about the girl in the picture, they'd run away, or claim they only spoke Spanish or Italian. When they returned with a colleague who spoke fluent Spanish, one woman became more aggressive, holding a rock and threatening to throw it at the crew.
There were still no clues about the operation, though the crew noted many of those holding the signs wore T-shirts that read "Save A Heart Association."
The panhandlers had peddlers' permits, but Evansville Police told WFIE their actions may cross a line.
“Once they’re actually advertising for something specific, basically making that promise that your money is going to this and then it’s not going there, that’s when it becomes a crime,” said Evansville Police Sgt. Anna Gray.
While it appears Jessica is a real person, she no longer needs financial help, but those who are allegedly collecting on her behalf apparently have no connection to the girl or her family.
“When we have people that are scamming people to think that, people are a little hesitant to give their money and that’s a sad situation because there is really somebody who needs it or an organization that really needs that help,” said Gray.
While WFIE continues their investigation, police say if you've given money to the panhandlers or any other organization and you feel scammed, call them so they can launch an investigation of their own.