The internet is a strange place for a second act. For Amanda C. Riley, the woman whose name became a shorthand for "cancer con artist" thanks to the viral Scamanda podcast, that second act is officially beginning. If you’ve been following the twists of this case since 2012, you know the broad strokes. She was the bubbly Christian blogger. The "Roaring Goddess" fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The mother who raised over $100,000 from strangers while secretly being perfectly healthy.
But the question isn't just about what she did anymore. It's about where she is today.
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As of early 2026, the legal clock has finally run its course. Amanda C. Riley now has transitioned from a federal inmate to a person navigating the complex, often unforgiving reality of life after a massive public fraud conviction. Her journey didn't end when the prison gates shut in 2022; if anything, her time behind bars was just as controversial as her years on the "cancer" blog.
The Release and the Halfway House Reality
According to Federal Bureau of Prisons records, Amanda's official release date was set for December 4, 2025. Leading up to that date, she was moved from the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Carswell in Texas—a facility for inmates with medical or mental health needs—to a residential reentry facility (RRM) in Long Beach, California.
Basically, she spent the final months of her five-year sentence in a halfway house.
Living in a halfway house isn't exactly freedom. You've got strict curfews. You have to find a job. You’re under constant surveillance. For someone like Amanda, who spent years cultivating a specific image of perfection and suffering, the anonymity of a reentry center must have been a jarring shift. Honestly, the transition from being "the most famous scammer in the country" to a person just trying to fulfill parole requirements in San Pedro is a massive comedown.
Why her prison stay was so bizarre
You’d think a five-year sentence for wire fraud would be straightforward. It wasn't.
Prosecutors and medical staff at FMC Carswell reported that Amanda continued to claim various illnesses while incarcerated. During her first 18 months in prison, she was reportedly transported to the emergency room 24 times. She complained of everything from chest pains to a rapid heartbeat. At one point, her lawyers even tried to get her out early, citing "new medical maladies."
The judge, Beth Labson Freeman, wasn't having it.
Medical experts who treated her in prison—including three doctors and a nurse—suggested she might suffer from factitious disorder, better known as Münchausen syndrome. One doctor actually made the official diagnosis. Prosecutors argued she was caught "manipulating test results," like holding her breath during oxygen tests to lower her readings. It seems the patterns that defined her life in San Jose didn't just disappear once she put on a prison uniform.
Where is Amanda C. Riley now in 2026?
Now that she's out, her life looks nothing like the "Team Amanda" days of 2015.
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She is currently under three years of supervised release. This is a critical period where one wrong move—any form of financial deception or even failing to report a change of address—could land her right back in a cell. She also has a massive financial shadow hanging over her.
The court ordered her to pay $105,513 in restitution to the 349 victims she defrauded.
As of mid-2024, reports indicated she had only paid back about $800. In 2026, the focus for the U.S. Probation Office will be her income. If she gets a job, a significant portion of her paycheck will be garnished to pay back the people she lied to. Whether she can even find employment with such a Google-able name is a different story.
The Family Dynamic
What about her family? That's the part that gets people most heated in the comments sections.
- Her Husband, Cory Riley: He was never charged in connection with the scam. Reports indicate the family moved to Austin, Texas, while Amanda was serving her time to be closer to her.
- The Sons: Her two boys are now growing up in the shadow of a story they were once part of.
- Jessa Gonzalez: Cory’s daughter from a previous marriage has been vocal about the "relief" she felt when the case ended. She has distanced herself from the couple, a move many followers of the Scamanda podcast cheered for.
The Lingering "Scamanda" Effect
The public isn't moving on as fast as she might want. Thanks to the ABC docuseries and the ongoing popularity of the podcast hosted by Charlie Webster, Amanda's face is still fresh in the minds of true crime fans.
There's a specific kind of "digital scarlet letter" that comes with a case like this. If she tries to start a new social media account or blog, the internet "detectives" are usually there within hours. It’s a weird paradox: she craved attention for years, and now, the attention is the very thing preventing her from having a normal life.
What most people get wrong about her sentence
Many think she "got away with it" because she only served about three and a half years of a five-year sentence (with time off for good behavior and the halfway house stint). But a federal conviction for wire fraud is a permanent stain.
She can't hold certain professional licenses. She can't own a firearm. She will likely never be able to handle money for an employer again. The "Scamanda" brand is a prison of its own making.
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Moving Forward: Actionable Insights for the Public
The Amanda C. Riley case changed how people look at GoFundMe and online fundraising. If you're looking at her story and wondering how to protect yourself or your community from similar situations, here’s the reality:
- Vetting is vital: If a story seems too "miraculous" or the medical details are vague, don't be afraid to ask questions. Real patients are usually open about their doctors and facilities.
- Trust, but verify platforms: Large platforms have better fraud protection than private blogs.
- Recognize the signs of factitious disorder: It's a real mental health struggle, but in cases like Amanda's, it has devastating criminal consequences.
Amanda C. Riley now has the chance to live a quiet, honest life. Whether she chooses to do that or continues the patterns documented by the FBI remains to be seen. For the 349 victims who are still waiting for their money, the "end" of this story is still a long way off.
To stay informed on restitution progress or any new legal filings regarding her supervised release, you can monitor the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) for the Northern District of California, which remains the official record for her ongoing case requirements.