1) Account used for charity 2) Appeal to emotion 3) Bid for sympathy 4) Empathy inducer 5) It may elicit sympathy 6) Lame excuse 7) Long, drawn-out excuse 8) Many a lame excuse 9) Often-exaggerated tale 10) One type of reportage 11) Sympathy-arousing excuse 12) Tale of personal woe 13) Tale of woe 14) Tale told to elicit tears 
[n] - a sentimental story or personal distress
sob stuff noun a sentimental story (or drama) of personal distress; designed to arouse sympathy