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4. The contract

World of Secrets The Child Cancer Scam
Episode 4 of 6

A mother from Ukraine signs a contract thinking it will help her young daughter, who has a brain tumour. But when we look closer, it makes for shocking reading.

A mother from Ukraine signs a contract, hoping that it will help her young daughter. Viktoriia has a brain tumour: her story is plastered all over social media despite her family’s request that the video they made isn’t shared.

Olena says she wasn’t given time to read the contract properly. When we look more closely, it makes for shocking reading. Now she knows the truth, she wants to stop the scammers, agreeing to help us go undercover.

Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model.

Reporter and Presenter: Simi Jolaoso
Additional reporting: Jack Goodman and Ned Davies
Writer and Producer: Neil McCarthy and Rob Wilson
Sound design: Andy Fell
Executive Producer: Rebecca Henschke
Commissioning Senior Producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning Editor: Jon Manel

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 11 Jan 2026 05:32GMT
BBC World Service Australasia

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Broadcasts

  • Fri 9 Jan 2026 00:32GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Sat 10 Jan 2026 11:32GMT
    BBC World Service except Australasia & Live News
  • Sun 11 Jan 2026 04:32GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa, Online, UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa only
  • Sun 11 Jan 2026 05:32GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia

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  • World of Secrets

    Global investigations from the BBC. Uncovering stories around the world