Every December, the same heartbreaking post appears in Facebook groups across upstate New York, Cambridge, Greenwich, Saratoga, Schenectady, Clifton Park, and Mechanicville.
An anonymous mom says she’s struggling on food stamps, missed all the Christmas help sign-ups, and just wants someone to “adopt” her two little kids so they have presents under the tree.
She ends with “no negative comments please, one tired and struggling momma.”
This year, the post was made by someone using an anonymous account.
Still, the community quickly figured out who was really behind it: Karina Caputo-Liakhovitch, a 21-year-old former Greenwich High School basketball player who now lives a very comfortable life.
Within hours, screenshots started flooding local pages.
People recognized the exact toys and clothes they had just dropped off for free, brand-new Spider-Man sets, Hot Wheels cars, boxes of baby clothes still in the packages, now listed for sale on Marketplace by Karina for $15–$50 each.
One woman, Megan Tracy, posted side-by-side photos: the garbage bag of newborn outfits she handed over, and the same items photographed on Karina’s table the very next day, with price tags.
Another local mom, Alyssa Knapp, wrote a long public warning that has now been shared hundreds of times:
“She is a scumbag who turns around and sells everything people give her. I fell for it a couple years ago and I still regret it. She uses the money for her hair, nails, lashes, and that brand-new BMW SUV you see on her real profile. This is straight-up donation fraud.”
Via Facebook
When donors messaged Karina asking for their items back, she offered a series of wild excuses, claiming, “I’m only 16,” “I’m high-risk pregnant again,” “That BMW belongs to my stepmom,” and “I swear on my child I’m not selling anything.“
Then she blocked them.
Her real Facebook page tells a different story. Just weeks ago, she changed her name to Karina Caputo-Liakhovitch after getting married.
There are photos of her smiling next to a brand-new black BMW X5, pictures from her wedding, and plenty of salon selfies with fresh hair, lashes, and manicures.
Todd Gorman, a well-known community helper in the area, finally had enough.
He posted the side-by-side proof of Karina’s begging post next to her luxury SUV and wrote:
“You absolutely should not be asking for help when you just took on a BMW payment. Your kids are going to go without Christmas, but you can afford that? It shows a lot about your character.”
Via Facebook
He has stopped accepting new families for his own Christmas drive until he can be sure no one else is scamming.
Todd is now asking everyone who has ever given Karina anything to send him photos and receipts.
He says an investigation is underway and they are collecting evidence to take to the police.
People who went to school with Karina say this isn’t new.
Some claim she has been running small scams since middle school and does the same “struggling mom” routine in different towns every single holiday season.
The message from the community is clear and unanimous: do not donate anything to Karina Caputo-Liakhovitch.
