a story taryn harper wright says she knows all too well. the touching tale, the emotional pleas for help and money. just one problem -- she thinks they're lying. >> my name is taryn harper wright and i am a hoax hunter. >> reporter: the 37-year-old former futures trader from chicago prides herself on being called the internet's premier fake illness detective. >> i used to read "nancy drew." something like that, getting to the bottom of a story. >> reporter: she says she cracked 17 cases of suspected illness fraud in the last three years. part of the soaring internet crime rate that the fbi says costs consumers $800 million a year. her first hoax busted way back in 2012 might sound familiar. remember little eli durr, the courageous 6-year-old cancer survivor known as warrior eli? >> i think he had three types of cancer at one point. >> reporter: the internet had been humming with his story for years. but taryn wright was skeptical. on a hunch she tried searching the web for other places durr photos might have appeared. eli's siblings in sungl

but taryn wright was skeptical. on a hunch she tried searching the web for other places durr photos might have appeared. lo and behold this image of eli's siblings in sunglasses posted on their dad's posed a site of a popular mommy blogger in of all places south africa. >> i discovered over 70 images of my children. >> reporter: eli's entire story a fake. >> i didn't realize until after the first hoax that i uncovered, i didn't realize how much this impacted people. >> reporter: we met with taryn as she was preparing to post her latest case to her blog, taking a last look at julian and jace's go fund me appeal before posting. >> please, he could use all the help he can get. >> you read that and that's pulling your heart strings if you don't know more. >> definitely. >> reporter: she says he has a psychological behavioral condition, known as munchausen by internet. >> munchausen by internet is a term i coined in 2000 to refer to cases in which people go online and either lie about or exaggerate illness. >> reporter: