Apple Cider Vinegar fans should add wild documentary 'Scamanda' to their watch list next

Apple Cider Vinegarhas become one of Netflix's most-talked-about shows over the last few weeks, following the twisted tale of Belle Gibson who convinced followers she'd cured her brain cancer with homeopathy and diet - except she never really had cancer in the first place.

But after such a wild viewing experience, fans have been left wondering: What on earth do we watch now?

Well, Disney+ and Hulu may well have just answered our prayers, because there's a new documentary out which follows a very similar story of deception amid a faked illness. Say hello to Scamanda.

Scamanda was released on the streaming platforms a couple of weeks ago, and has since sparked a number of "this is completely insane, this can't be real" conversations online.

ABC

"Wife, mother and blogger Amanda Riley's tragic cancer tale captivates thousands, but after an anonymous tip to an investigative reporter, her own words may prove to be her downfall", Hulu writes in the show's description.

The true story follows American church-going mum Amanda Riley, who lied about having stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma from 2012 to 2016, racking up thousands of dollars in donations from followers of her health blog, known as Lymphoma Can Suck It.

The mum of two bagged herself free vacations, tickets to sold-out events, and free babysitting for her two kids - with even her closest friends believing she was seriously ill.

The former school teacher, now 39, even shared photos of herself in hospital to make the story more believable, scamming her way to $100,000 in donations from well-wishers concerned for her health.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

But like Belle Gibson at the centre of the Apple Cider Vinegar scandal, she never had cancer at all, and was instead using the money to fund her lifestyle.

Riley committed to shaving her head, and regularly attended cancer support groups.

She pleaded to wire fraud in 2021 and was sentenced to five years in prison, after Scamanda investigative producer Nancy Moscatiello was tipped off in 2015 that Riley was scamming a local church by pretending to have cancer.

"There were things in the blog that didn't seem right," Moscatiello told The Sun. "My sister had stage 4 lung cancer years before and a friend of mine helped her by researching clinical trials. She looked at the blog and pointed me to inconsistencies, like treatments that were not available at home or could only be administered by a medically trained person — and medicines that could only be kept in a laboratory fridge."

Hulu

"She used her presence on these sites to 'document' her nonexistent medical condition, and to aggressively solicit donations, supposedly to cover her medical expenses," the U.S. Attorney's Office previously told PEOPLE in a statement.

"In truth, [Amanda] had no medical expenses. The donations she received were deposited into her personal bank accounts and used to pay her living expenses."

Viewers can't quite believe it's real either.

"That Scamanda show on Hulu is wild because no way you slept peacefully at night knowing that you’re stealing ppl money & taking advantage of their empathy… that’s a different level of crime", one person wrote on X.

"I can't believe she only got five years in prison this is insane", another added.

The four-part series is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

Why not read...

'Insane': Viewers give their verdict on 'bonkers' Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar

Where is Belle Gibson now? What we know about influencer who inspired Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar

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