The TikTok mistress of reinvention who scammed hundreds

Being sued by your Airbnb friends as a result of they could not stand to be round a disabled particular person sounds too merciless to be actual.  

However, that is precisely what one girl, Carrie Jade Williams, an Englishwoman primarily based in Ireland, claimed had occurred to her final 12 months. 

In a video that exploded on social media, Carrie, who mentioned she had been identified with the terminal sickness Huntington’s Disease, mentioned her Airbnb friends had demanded a refund and had been making an attempt to sue her for 450,000 euros. 

Why? She mentioned they’d informed her that ‘being round her as a disabled particular person’ had triggered them ‘trauma’.  

The story sparked outrage, with the hashtag #thisworldcanbeaccessible trending in minutes. People had been determined to assist Carrie and discover the heartless friends, and a kind of folks was VICE journalist Kat Denkinson.

However, what Kat discovered was a a lot darker reality – the story wasn’t actual… and shockingly, neither was Carrie. 

In an investigation that first took her to Kenmare in Ireland, Kat found that Carrie Jade Williams was in reality a lady referred to as Samantha Cookes, who had a historical past of compulsive mendacity alongside a tragic backstory of kid loss.

Cookes disappeared from her dwelling in Kenmare final 12 months and hasn’t been heard of since.  

However, ‘Carrie Jade’ wasn’t Samantha’s solely alias. As Kat set about uncovering extra of her a number of pretend identities, she additionally discovered years of merciless scams.

The journalist discovered that Samantha had adopted a sample of infiltrating small communities and embedding herself within the lives of susceptible households by posing as somebody certified to take care of kids – solely to then try to rip-off them out of cash. In some circumstances, Samantha even obtained suspended jail sentences for fraud.

Each time Samantha’s lies started to unravel and folks grew suspicious of her, she would pack up, disappear and resurface elsewhere below a brand new identify. 

Before she was incapacity activist Carrie Jade, Samantha was Rebecca Fitzgerald, the autism therapist. And earlier than that she was home violence refuge proprietor Lucy Fitzwilliam, au pair Lucy Hart and a surrogate mom referred to as Claudia. 

The baffling story was first revealed by VICE in December 2022 and has since been was a podcast referred to as Carrie Jade Does Not Exist – hosted by Kat and comic Sue Perkins. 

But what did Samantha do whereas below these false names? And who’s she actually? 

The terminal sickness sufferer: Carrie Jade Williams

Carrie Jade Williams is an English girl in her 30s who claimed to have Huntington’s illness, a uncommon and terminal neurological situation.

She arrived in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, in 2019 quite out of the blue and shortly befriended a lady whose daughter had died. 

She first made headlines when she gained the Bodley Head Financial Times literary award in 2020 – a prestigious essay competitors with a £1,000 prize. 

Her compelling and emotional essay referred to as: ‘My mind is in a battle it can lose’ informed the story of her analysis with Huntington’s and the way she might not write or maintain a pen. The essay was mentioned to have been written utilizing assistive know-how.

After successful the prize and having the essay revealed in a nationwide newspaper, Carrie garnered an enormous platform and everybody needed to interview the terminally unwell chemical engineer-turned star author. 

She started internet hosting digital writing workshops throughout the pandemic and informed those that had joined that she would assist them get bursaries of as much as £10,000 to kick-start their literary careers. Carrie claimed the cash was coming from a literary app she was set to launch.

But as time went on, the app by no means launched and the group attendees by no means noticed any cash. Growing suspicious of Carrie, folks started to query her and after months of stringing them alongside, Carrie mentioned she was going to the US for life-saving surgical procedure and shortly ghosted the group utterly. 

Yet she continued to construct on her platform following the win, and made YouTube movies detailing her horror analysis. Her story captured the general public’s coronary heart.

But in 2022, excessive on her success as an internet incapacity activist, Carrie informed a lie that will finally unravel her lies. She posted a TikTok calling out Airbnb for allegedly siding with friends who had complained about having to make use of her accessible doorbell.

‘I do know able-ism exists, and I’ve skilled it,’ she mentioned in a teary video.  

Carrie claimed the friends, who had stayed at her dwelling, had been so ‘traumatised by being round her as a disabled particular person’ they’d complained to Airbnb – and that Airbnb had instructed her to refund them consequently.

The video went viral as folks had been horrified by the overt show of able-ism and Carrie quickly posted a follow-up video – the place she claimed the friends had been now suing her for 450,000 euros for the trauma triggered. They additionally allegedly slapped her with an inventory of 13 weird calls for to deal with the trauma, together with an emotional help animal and 25 grownup colouring books a 12 months for the rest of their lives.

However on October 5, 2022, somebody on Reddit posted hyperlinks to articles a few convicted fraudster – who they claimed was Carrie. 

Carrie issued a press release saying this was in reality her sister who had struggled with psychological well being issues and that it was defamatory for anybody to hyperlink the pair. 

This led journalist Kat to research the story and over the course of two months, she uncovered the reality. Carrie Jade didn’t exist. 

The autism professional: Rebecca Fitzgerald 

In 2017, 29-year-old au pair and ‘autism therapist’ Rebecca Fitzgerald moved to Fermoy, a city close to Cork, Ireland.

She lived and labored with a neighborhood household and fashioned relationships with mother and father locally, promoting herself as a certified autism therapist who might ‘train non-speaking autistic youngsters to speak in simply two months’. 

Parents within the native space described her as variety, empathetic and the ‘good particular person’ and he or she was quickly invited into their properties to assist their kids. Rebecca started working at Fermoy’s youngsters neighborhood centre and college.

It isn’t potential to reverse non-speaking autism in two months, Rebecca had no {qualifications} and he or she was not a toddler therapist. 

Julie Lee, a mom in her 50s initially from Johannesburg and a taxi driver who typically drove Rebecca from home to accommodate, clocked that she was a fraud. 

Rebecca would don’t have any cash when arriving on the homes of those households, Julie mentioned, and but when she picked her up she would have lots of of kilos. ‘That’s how I knew what she was doing.’

During the drives, Rebecca informed Julie she was opening a clinic for youngsters and households and tried to recruit Julie to work there, earlier than asking for a replica of her passport and cash. Having recruited different folks within the space, one girl even give up her job as an au pair to work for Rebecca.

‘That’s once I realised it was a rip-off,’ Julie mentioned. ‘An unqualified particular person doing that, then on the lookout for passport copies, then cash.’ 

People on the college began to ask questions concerning the {qualifications} of their kid’s new therapist. The college headteacher contacted the Garda [police] however they by no means adopted up. 

Julie additionally reported Rebecca, and the Garda informed her they’d a thick folder on Rebecca, and had been preserving observe of her.

Officers had been despatched to Rebecca’s dwelling and shortly after, she disappeared.

The speech therapist: Lucy Fitzwilliam

A 12 months earlier, in 2016, shiny and bushy tailed Lucy Fitzwilliam, 28, moved to County Geery, Ireland. 

She launched herself to the locals as a speech and language therapist who additionally ran a home violence refuge and shortly grew to become a beloved member of the neighborhood.

Lucy met Lynn, not her actual identify for anonymity, a single mother or father and home abuse survivor whose youngest daughter has Rett syndrome, a genetic neurological dysfunction that impacts the best way the mind develops. Lucy provided to be her carer.

Lynn declined the provide however Lucy was persistent and as an alternative mentioned she might do artwork remedy with Lynn’s oldest daughter Sofia, eight, who had witnessed her father’s abuse.

The household grew to become shut with Lucy, and after months of ‘remedy’ she provided them a visit to Lapland. This was apparently being organised by the church who had been masking half the fee. 

Lucy mentioned she wanted a £500 deposit to safe the journey – which might be elevating cash for the home abuse refuge she claimed to run. The neighborhood rallied and Lynn’s mom made up 400-500 euros price of meals packages for the refuge.

As the Lapland journey drew nearer, Lynn mentioned she had been looking for a specialist nurse to take care of her youngest daughter. It was at this level Lucy mentioned she would take Sofia to Lapland alone and Lynn and her youngest might be part of them later as soon as care was organised.

All Lucy wanted was Sofia’s passport and delivery certificates, Lynn mentioned.

‘She had zoned in on my Sofia and I nonetheless to at the present time imagine she regarded for a signature from me so she might deliver Sofia herself to Lapland.’ 

Suspicions locally escalated when one among Lynn’s buddies, a lady referred to as Pauline whose son is autistic, mentioned Lucy had additionally tried to persuade her handy over her son’s passport. 

Lucy was reported to the Garda for making an attempt to rip-off households locally out of cash and passports, however she was let go with out cost. She packed up and left County Geery that very same night time. 

The au pair: Lucy Hart

Two years earlier than there was Lucy Fitzwilliam, there was a 26-year-old girl referred to as Lucy Hart.

Bonnie, not her actual identify for anonymity, a lady in her 40s from Tullamore, had been trying an au pair to assist take care of her kids.

She got here throughout Lucy on an au pair web site in 2014. Lucy mentioned she was skilled in childcare and following a fast video name, Bonnie employed her.   

‘She was so convincing, and actually beautiful within the interview we had,’ mentioned Bonnie. 

Bonnie and her kids ‘liked’ Lucy and he or she shortly grew to become a part of the household – regaling them together with her attention-grabbing tales about her earlier au pair jobs and her circle of relatives. Lucy mentioned she was adopted and that her mom Jane Hart lived within the United States. She mentioned her mom was the ‘important provider for sandpaper for B&Q’.

In a video for the ALS ice bucket problem, Lucy nominated her mom ‘Jane’ and Bonnie’s kids poured the water over her head. 

Lucy quickly opened as much as Bonnie about her love life, saying she was relationship a person within the UK who had two kids from a earlier relationship. 

Bonnie additionally obtained an perception into Lucy’s tragic previous, as she informed her that her earlier fiance Liam had had motor neuron illness and killed himself by hanging. 

Lucy mentioned she had discovered him.

The pair’s friendship grew however issues modified throughout Christmas in 2014 – when Lucy accused Bonnie’s kids of stealing her cash and engagement ring. Bonnie didn’t imagine her kids would do such a factor and the connection started to interrupt down. 

Bonnie went again over a lot of Lucy’s elaborate tales and located they didn’t add up, so sooner or later challenged her au pair as she launched into one more story. Kind and smiley Lucy was shortly changed with an offended girl who accused Bonnie of attacking her and stormed out of the room. 

Things remained tense till sooner or later in January when Lucy mentioned she was happening a writing retreat and disappeared. 

After a number of weeks, Bonnie accepted Lucy was not coming again and went into the room she had been staying in. In the wardrobe she discovered piles of paperwork and one actually chilling letter that made her ‘blood run chilly’.

Among procuring lists and authorized paperwork was a press release about visitation rights for Lucy’s youngster – a toddler whose identify matched the one she claimed was her boyfriend’s from one other relationship. 

More chilling nonetheless, Bonnie got here throughout a press release.

The assertion learn: ‘I stand shoulder to shoulder with the coroner and I didn’t homicide my daughter. I pray she is at peace.’

Her actual identification: Samantha Cookes

Behind the entire aliases is an actual girl – Samantha Cookes. 

Born in 1988, Samantha grew up in Gloucestershire, earlier than shifting to Shropshire together with her mom and her new husband after her mother and father divorced. 

Samantha had a repute for being a liar, her buddy from college mentioned. Her lies included her mom having most cancers and her being pregnant and miscarrying.

Aged 18, Samantha was relationship a boy referred to as Liam. She went so far as to arrange an internet site to plan their ‘marriage ceremony’. There was no marriage ceremony. 

The pair break up up a while later and aged 20, Samantha began a level in Occupational Therapy at York University.

However, Samantha later found she was pregnant and left college in her first 12 months, returning dwelling to Shropshire. She gave delivery to a daughter referred to as Martha in 2008.

Tragically, simply 4 months later, Martha died. 

A five-month inquest discovered Martha had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – a outcome which appeared to vindicate Samantha, who appeared to have taken the inquest as an accusation.

It was at this level Samantha made the assertion later discovered by Bonnie in Tullamore six years later. 

‘I stand shoulder to shoulder with the coroner, and I didn’t homicide my daughter,’ it learn. ‘I pray she is at peace.’ 

Samantha didn’t return to school as she selected to not fill out prison data test types. 

Two years later in 2010, Samantha began a relationship with a person, whose identification isn’t being revealed to guard him and his household. The pair had a toddler. 

The identical 12 months, 23-year-old Samantha provided her companies as a surrogate on Facebook. 

After making contact with a pair about being their surrogate, Samantha handed on the contact of a lady referred to as Claudia, who had beforehand used her as a surrogate. Claudia gave the excited couple a glowing evaluation of Samantha.

Having by no means met her nose to nose, the couple gave Samantha £1,200 out of their financial savings to cowl the price of the insemination package, authorized charges and different bills. 

Sadly the child by no means got here, and as each Samantha and Claudia prevented the couple’s messages, they realised they’d been duped. The police had been contacted and a 23-year-old girl was arrested at her dwelling in Shropshire.

The case got here to trial in 2011 and Samantha pleaded responsible to fraud. She obtained a suspended sentence of 9 months’ imprisonment and a advantageous of £1890 to be paid to the couple.

But what the trial additionally revealed was that Samantha and Claudia had been the identical particular person. Claudia didn’t exist.

A 12 months later, Samantha gave delivery to a second youngster with the person she had been relationship however resulting from psychological well being issues, the daddy was given sole custody. In 2013 she grew to become pregnant together with her third youngster with the identical man. 

Determined to not lose custody of this unborn youngster, Samantha fled to Ireland within the winter of 2013. She gave delivery in January 2014.

However, a neighbour reported her to Irish social companies and the kid was taken into care. After showing at Irish household courtroom, the daddy was once more given custody and the child was transported again to the UK. 

Samantha had completely misplaced custody of her third youngster by August 2014. 

A month later she had modified her identify to Lucy Hart and was working for Bonnie as an au pair. In January 2015, she left Bonnie’s dwelling. 

In 2016, Samantha moved to County Geery and have become Lucy Fitzwilliam and in 2017, Rebecca Fitzgerald arrived in Fermoy. 

When Samantha arrived in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, in 2019, she grew to become another person – Carrie Jade Williams.