What happened to Belle Gibson's Instagram scam cash - holidays to home raid

Twisted scammer Belle Gibson lived a lavish lifestyle that didn't add up and ultimately led to her unmasking.

Fooling her 300,000 followers on Instagram, the Australian fraudster claimed she had cured her terminal brain cancer through healthy eating after refusing chemotherapy. But as she profited from a dangerous web of lies, she flew first class on international trips for brands, partied in nightclubs where she downed shots and binged on unhealthy fast food.

The then 21-year-old, who became a mum at 18, shared videos and photos of her miraculous transformation from her million-dollar home, where her viewers marvelled at how well she looked. As chronicled in a new ITV documentary, Instagram's Worst Con Artist, Belle's story was finally revealed as a cruel sham. She had never been diagnosed with cancer.

For the two-part series, viewers hear from her friends and family, including former friend Chanelle McAuliffe, who eventually called Belle out on the evening of her book launch after realising things weren't right. She witnessed her doing things she had told her social media followers she steered clear of.

“Belle was very passionate about wellness… but then there would be times where I noticed her and another friend went to a solarium to go tanning," Chanelle said. "Another time we went out to a nightclub, and she was ordering shots and lots of drinks and drinking quite excessively. Things just didn't add up for me."

Recalling the moment she confronted her about her claims, she said: "She maintained that she had cancer. She maintained everything was true... And it just made my blood boil. And it all added up at that point. In my opinion, it was a strategy. It’s just a f***ing business strategy.

"I felt she was misleading people on such a serious nature that they were making decisions about life-threatening illnesses to stop seeking chemo or radiation to eat fruit and vegetables. I said to her ‘are you ready to come forward?’ And she basically got really aggressive with me, basically told me to f*** off."

Belle said she had been told she had six weeks to live when she was diagnosed in 2009 with a brain tumour. She claimed she had given up chemotherapy because it was making her sick, and instead opted to live a natural lifestyle with healthy eating. Impressed by her success, hundreds of others desperately followed suit, rejecting medical advice.

Promoting her holistic medicine, in August 2013, she launched the app The Whole Pantry, which was downloaded hundreds of thousands of times within its first few months. And soon after came her cookbook deal with Penguin Books.

But her elaborate story started to unravel when she claimed to have donated proceeds to charity. She was first exposed as a fraud by journalist Richard Guilliat, whose wife had been diagnosed with cancer, after he tracked her down for an interview.

Fast forward to September 2017, Belle was fined £240,000 by the Australian government - which she failed to pay - for misleading readers about donating money to charity, after she was found guilty of five breaches of consumer law. A judge at the time said Belle may have “genuinely” believed what she was saying, and might have suffered from “delusions” about her health.

In 2021, authorities raided her home in a bid to repay $500,000 (£396,997) she still owed for conning people after she 'wasn't in a position' to pay the fine. In a statement, the Victorian Sheriff's Office confirmed they had seized assets from the property.

"A warrant of seizure and sale on Ms Gibson was executed today by Sheriff’s Officers at an address in Northcote," a spokeswoman for Consumer Affairs said, reports MailOnline Australia. Barrister for Consumer Affairs Victoria, Carl Moller, reportedly told Gibson she had spent $91,000 over a two-year period from 2017 to 2019.

During this time, she travelled to Bali and Africa. The court also reportedly heard she earned just $35,000 in that time. According to the paper, Belle reportedly splashed out $13,000 on clothes and accessories, while another $45,000 was listed as 'discretionary spending'.

When asked if she would consider bankruptcy or entering a payment plan with the State, the fraudster reportedly responded by saying it was a consideration'. She has stayed out of the spotlight since but is believed to be living in the Melbourne area. Journalist Nick said in the documentary: "I think Belle should be told to pay the money back to all those families who got damaged by it all.

"She’s left a big scar on me. Like it’s never going to leave me. She’s never going to be forgiven by me and that’s the truth. You know, I’ll always love her. Why did you do it? Please explain, I’m here, you know, talk to me, I’m here to listen."
• Instagram's Worst Con Artist airs tonight on ITV at 9pm.

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