On Sept. 3, 2023, Osman posted emotional videos from a hospital bed, claiming she had been the victim of a terrifying attack. According to her account, she had taken an Uber ride home after spending the evening visiting bars. She alleged that when she rejected her driver's romantic advances, he responded by throwing a brick at her head and attempting to kidnap her.
The Instagram posts showed Osman crying and displaying a swollen lump on the side of her face, which she attributed to the alleged brick attack. The videos quickly spread across social media platforms, generating millions of views and sparking intense reactions from users.
The response to Osman's claims proved deeply divided from the start. Many people expressed immediate support and sympathy, offering words of encouragement and sharing her story widely. However, a significant portion of social media users questioned the authenticity of her account, pointing out inconsistencies in her narrative and expressing skepticism about various details.
Those doubters ultimately proved correct in their suspicions. The truth behind what actually happened that night painted a drastically different picture than the one Osman presented to the world.
Houston police conducted a thorough investigation that included reviewing surveillance footage from the incident. The video evidence told a completely different story than Osman's version of events. According to authorities, the footage clearly showed that Osman was the aggressor in the confrontation, striking the man first with an unknown object.
The man did respond to her attack, but not with a brick as she claimed. Instead, he hit her with a plastic water bottle. Detectives working the case noted another red flag during their investigation. Osman changed her story multiple times when speaking with investigators, a pattern that raised serious concerns about her credibility.
Despite the questions surrounding her story, a friend launched a GoFundMe campaign on Osman's behalf. The fundraiser, titled Help Roda Recover, described her as a victim who had been viciously attacked and needed financial assistance. The campaign resonated with many people who believed her account, and donations poured in rapidly.
The fundraiser ultimately collected $42,000 from sympathetic donors who wanted to help what they believed was a genuine victim of violence. Osman did not hesitate to spend the money once she had access to it. She used the funds for luxury trips to Jamaica and New York, dining at expensive restaurants and visiting high-end spas.
The investigation revealed that this was not Osman's first alleged attempt at exploiting crowdfunding platforms. She allegedly conducted a similar GoFundMe scam in 2020, claiming to be the victim of another assault. However, police records indicated that the 2020 assault was never officially reported to authorities.
GoFundMe took decisive action once the truth came to light. The platform removed Osman's fundraiser, permanently banned her from creating future campaigns and processed refunds for all donors who had contributed to the fraudulent cause.
During her trial, Osman displayed behavior that required intervention from court officials. According to reports from Click2Houston.com, she had to be told multiple times to calm down after the jury delivered their guilty verdict. Her emotional outbursts in the courtroom reflected poorly on her case and demonstrated a lack of acceptance of responsibility for her actions.
The judge handed down a sentence that includes multiple components designed to punish the crime and prevent future offenses. Osman must serve 90 days in jail followed by 10 years of probation. She will also be subject to GPS monitoring during her probationary period, allowing authorities to track her movements and ensure compliance with court orders.
Perhaps most significantly for someone who used social media to perpetrate her fraud, Osman is banned from using any social media platforms for the entire 10-year probation period. She must also pay back the full $42,000 in restitution to those who donated based on her false claims.
Olan Douglas, the man Osman falsely accused, finally had the opportunity to share his perspective after maintaining relative silence throughout the ordeal. He described how the false accusations transformed his life into a nightmare for several months, causing him tremendous stress and damage to his reputation.
Douglas expressed frustration with how Osman manipulates people through social media to conduct scams. He questioned the whereabouts of all the people who initially rushed to support Osman and attack him based on her lies, wondering if any of them would now acknowledge their mistake and offer him the same support they gave her.