Four charities that claimed they raised money to help cancer patients, including women suffering from breast cancer and children, are accused of bilking more than $187 million from donors.

In a news release Tuesday, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said she's joining others from across the United States to sue the alleged phony cancer charities and their operators in federal court. Two of the corporations and three individuals have agreed to pre-suit judgments against them totaling about $137 million.

The four charities named in the joint complaint are Cancer Fund of America, Children's Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services and The Breast Cancer Society. Each posed as legitimate charities, which gave direct cancer support to patients, according to Bondi's office.

The defendants allegedly told donors their money would help cancer patients. Investigators said only about 3 percent of all funds collected from donors went to cancer patients.

"To prey on the good intentions of generous people wishing to help those suffering from cancer is utterly disgraceful and will not be tolerated in Florida," Bondi said in a statement.

The case impacts people all over Florida and the United States as donors thought they were giving money to help others. The Federal Trade Commission is calling it an historic crackdown.

There was nepotism, too: Defendants hired family members and friends blindly, granting them big salaries, Bondi's office said. They are accused of spending the incoming dollars on lavish personal spending, including vacations and even dating-site memberships.

Jessica L. Rich, Director of FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, tallied the purchases: "Cars for the individual defendants and some of the others at the companies. Interest-free loans and college tuition for the individual defendants. Meals at Hooters, gym memberships, cell phone apps and games, movie tickets, a trip to Disney World, jet ski rentals and baby sitters for the kids while people were on these boondoggles," she said.

Officials said the charities falsified account statements, making their organizations seem bigger and more efficient.

Two charities and three individuals have already filed settlements and have agreed to pay more than $95 million — the amounts consumers donated to each charity between 2008 and 2012.

The five settling defendants include Breast Cancer Society, Children's Cancer Fund of America, Kyle Effler, Rose Perkins and James Reynolds II.

Three of the individuals involved in the operation are also banned from fundraising.

The action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. The settlement agreements will not be final until approved by the court. The lawsuit will continue against the remaining three non-settling defendants: Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services and James Reynolds Sr.

"The millions of dollars in donations these individuals took from well-meaning donors could have been used to fund cancer research and comfort those suffering from this terrible disease," Bondi said in a statement. "Instead, these shameless defendants personally profited from these donations."

Don't become a victim

There are several websites that check the credibility of charities. For more information and to check if a charity is legitimate, go to the following websites: