Devastated mom with cancer says ‘disgusting' wig maker ghosted her after $1,750 hair order — and stole the cash: ‘I really thought that he was going to help me'
After completing four rounds of chemotherapy, Corrina Walters, a resident of Lancashire currently battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), set out to purchase a wig to help contend with the loss of her hair, and 'gain some confidence and pride in [her] appearance again,' she wrote in a Facebook post.
When she still hadn't received the wig almost three months later, she took to social media to warn others looking to commission the cheat.
Advertisement
6 Walters also said that due to her treatments, she's had to stop working to prioritize her recovery, and saved up her welfare benefits to purchase the wig.
Kennedy News and Media
'Liam Collum is still operating and has knowingly continued to work with cancer patients and take their money, without providing the service he promised to individuals who are already going through turmoil,' she wrote in the same post, in which she detailed her experience.
Walters visited Collum, a hair specialist and wig maker, at a hair salon at the recommendation of a friend in March, and after settling on a style, color and length just a few days later, she placed an order for a 20-inch brown wig. The mother-of-three paid $1,755 for the human hair wig, and sent the money via bank transfer.
Advertisement
Walters claimed that after she sent the payment, she was completely ghosted. After the waiting period exceeded the 6-8 week estimate Collum gave her, she began reaching out to him in hopes of tracking down her pricey wig.
6 Walters was diagnosed with AML five years after she beat breast cancer.
Kennedy News and Media
6 Prior to losing her hair, Walters enjoyed styling her hair.
Kennedy News and Media
One of her children even messaged the wayward wig maker's personal phone number in search of an answer, but even after going back and forth with the supposed hair expert, Walters was still left in want of her wig — and a refund, which Collum refused her.
6 The wigmaker was not pleased about his phone number being handed out.
Kennedy News and Media
6 Walters still has not received the wig.
Kennedy News and Media
Advertisement
However, because she wired the payment to the supposed swindler, her bank was able to recover her money.
After she had washed her hands of the wig maker, Walters decided to publicly share her experience, hoping to prevent any future scams.
'He knew I was in between treatments because he wished me good luck for my next round of treatment. It's evil,' she told Kennedy News. 'It's bad enough having the cancer.'
Walters said that she does have a few synthetic wigs — which are known to cause irritation and can look unnatural, according to some users — but added that she was especially excited for the custom human-hair wig because she wanted to curl her own hair, which she thought would help her 'feel normal again after everything.'
Advertisement
After the exchange went public, the wig maker took to Facebook to make a post of his own.
6 'When I first realized what had happened, I felt stupid for believing him because I really thought that he was going to help me on my road to feeling normal again,' Walters said about the scam.
Kennedy News and Media
He shared that due to several overwhelming personal issues, he was unable to respond to clients or attend to his business.
'I should have shown more respect and been open and honest. I am not sharing this information for sympathy but to offer an explanation for my silence,' he added. 'I recognize the position of many of my clients and know that my behaviour regardless of my personal situation is unacceptable.'
For many, choosing a wig can be extraordinarily difficult — especially when it comes to finding human-hair pieces that look natural and don't run buyers thousands of dollars.
Though Walters said she was devastated to have wasted precious time and energy on the hair hoax, she was glad her post reached a large audience, hopefully preventing any additional cons.
'It's disgusting what he's doing. There have been so many women now that have messaged me and commented saying that he's done the same to them and he just can't keep getting away with it,' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business Wire
Exicure Completes the Last Patient, Last Visit in Phase 2 Study of GPC-100 for Stem Cell Mobilization in Multiple Myeloma Patients Undergoing Autologous Transplant
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Exicure, Inc. (Nasdaq: XCUR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics for hematologic diseases, today announced it has completed the last patient, last visit in its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT05561751) evaluating the safety and efficacy of GPC-100 (burixafor) in combination with propranolol and G-CSF in multiple myeloma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). Topline results from the study are expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. The randomized, open-label, multicenter study is designed to assess whether GPC-100, a small molecule CXCR4 antagonist, can improve CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell mobilization from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood, where they can be collected via leukapheresis for use in ASCT. In data presented at ASH 2024, GPC-100 appears to be well differentiated in terms of the speed with which it mobilizes stem cells compared to currently approved stem cell mobilization treatments. Dr. Muthalagu Ramanathan, Director of the Myeloma Program and Medical Co-Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant and CAR-T Program at U Mass Memorial Health noted that 'traditionally, patients undergoing mobilization are required to come, as an outpatient, the night before their procedure to receive the mobilization injection — a process that adds logistical challenges. The study drug GPC100 needed to be administered just 45 minutes before stem cell collection and resulted in a successful mobilization, significantly improving the patient experience. This is a true blessing for our frail myeloma patients.' In addition to multiple myeloma and a planned Phase 1 study in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, the company is also in discussions for potential collaborations that would utilize GPC-100's rapid and safe mobilization of stem cells in cell and gene therapy settings. About GPC-100 GPC-100 (burixafor) is a highly selective small molecule antagonist of CXCR4, a chemokine receptor that plays a central role in retaining hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow niche. By blocking CXCR4, GPC-100 may enhance the mobilization of these cells into the peripheral blood for collection and use in autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) procedures. Originally developed by GPCR Therapeutics, Inc., GPC-100 became part of Exicure's pipeline following the company's acquisition in January 2025. In addition to multiple myeloma, GPC-100 is also being considered in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other diseases where improved stem cell mobilization could help enable more efficient and effective treatment approaches, such as sickle cell disease, rare diseases requiring autologous transplant, and cell and gene therapy settings. About Exicure Exicure, Inc. (Nasdaq: XCUR) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies to address key challenges in hematologic diseases. The company's lead program, GPC-100, is being evaluated for its ability to improve stem cell mobilization in multiple myeloma, sickle cell disease, and in support of cell and gene therapy. It is also being studied as a potential chemosensitizing agent in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For more information, visit
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 7/31/2025
Stocks gave up early gains and closed lower on Wall Street, led by drops in health care companies. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped less than 0.1%. Health care stocks sank after the White House released letters asking big pharmaceutical companies to cut prices and make other changes in the next 60 days. Meta Platforms surged after the parent company of Facebook and Instagram crushed Wall Street's sales and profit targets even as the company continues to pour billions of dollars into artificial intelligence. On Thursday: The S&P 500 fell 23.51 points, or 0.4%, to 6,339.39. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 330.30 points, or 0.7%, to 44,130.98. The Nasdaq composite fell 7.23 points, or less than 0.1%, to 21,122.45. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 20.75 points, or 0.9%, to 2,211.65. For the week: The S&P 500 is down 49.25 points, or 0.8%. The Dow is down 770.94 points, or 1.7%. The Nasdaq is up 14.13 points, or 0.1%. The Russell 2000 is down 49.42 points, or 2.2%. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 457.76 points, or 7.8%. The Dow is up 1,586.76 points, or 3.7%. The Nasdaq is up 1,811.66 points, or 9.4%. The Russell 2000 is down 18.51 points, or 0.8%. Sign in to access your portfolio
Medscape
3 days ago
- Medscape
Novel Combo Boosts Survival in IDH1-Mutated AML
TOPLINE: Ivosidenib combined with azacitidine extended median overall survival to 29.3 months compared with 7.9 months for placebo plus azacitidine in newly diagnosed isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1)-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The combination therapy also improved hematologic recovery and increased transfusion independence rate to 53.8% vs 17.1% with placebo. METHODOLOGY: A total of 148 patients with newly diagnosed IDH1-mutated AML who were unfit for intensive chemotherapy were randomized to receive either ivosidenib-azacitidine (n = 73) or placebo-azacitidine (n = 75). Treatment consisted of 500 mg ivosidenib or placebo administered orally once daily, combined with subcutaneous or intravenous 75 mg/m² azacitidine for 7 days in 28-day cycles, with randomization stratified by geographic region and disease status. Analysis included a median follow-up period of 28.6 months, with overall survival as the key outcome measure, along with hematologic recovery, transfusion independence, and molecular measurable residual disease response. TAKEAWAY: Median overall survival was significantly longer with ivosidenib-azacitidine at 29.3 months (95% CI, 13.2-not reached) compared to 7.9 months (95% CI, 4.1-11.3) with placebo-azacitidine (hazard ratio [HR], 0.42; 95% CI, 0.27-0.65; P < .0001). Among patients who were transfusion dependent at baseline, conversion to transfusion independence was achieved in 53.8% (21/39) of ivosidenib-azacitidine patients vs 17.1% (7/41) of placebo-azacitidine patients (P = .0004). Of 33 ivosidenib-treated patients evaluable for molecular measurable residual disease, 10 (30.3%) achieved MRD negativity by day 1 of cycle 14, all of whom had complete remission. The safety profile remained consistent with previous reports, with lower rates of febrile neutropenia and infections in the ivosidenib-azacitidine arm, though neutropenia and bleeding events were more common than with placebo. IN PRACTICE: 'These long-term efficacy and safety results confirm the benefit of ivosidenib-azacitidine in this challenging-to-treat population and support its use as a standard of care with the longest reported survival benefit for intensive chemotherapy-ineligible patients with IDH1-mutated AML,' the authors of the study wrote. SOURCE: The study was led by Pau Montesinos, Hospital Universitari i Politécnic La Fe in Valencia, Spain, and Hartmut Döhner, Ulm University Hospital in Ulm, Germany. It was published online in Blood Advances. LIMITATIONS: According to the authors, molecular response analysis was limited by the small number of measurable residual disease-evaluable patients and samples, as well as the discontinuation of sample collection after study unblinding in March 2021. The limited number of variants that could be tracked with sufficient sensitivity in panel-based next-generation sequencing measurable residual disease assessment also constrained the molecular analyses. DISCLOSURES: Montesinos disclosed having relationships with AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Servier, and Teva Pharmaceuticals. Additional disclosures are noted in the original article. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
