A Florida woman is accused of scamming hundreds of people out of more than $40,000 by falsely claiming to have cancer, according to police.
Maribeth Ellen Jones, 51, set up a GoFundMe page seeking to raise money for the treatment she said she needed, only to spend the donations she received from 238 well-meaning members of her local community in Naples on paying off personal debts, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
To give credibility to the lie, Jones even had her hair cut short claiming she was getting ready to receive chemotherapy, officers said.
Their investigation into the scam also revealed she had twice previously been the beneficiary of similar schemes on the crowdfunding platform, in which she again lied about having a terminal illness.
Jones, of Bonita Springs, turned herself in at the Naples Jail Center on August 5 after detectives obtained a warrant for her arrest on a second-degree felony charge.
She has been charged with grand theft of between $20,000 and $100,000 and is currently being held at Collier County Jail. Jones is expected to return to court on August 31.
“This is an appalling case because it exploited the kindness and generosity of people who truly wanted to help someone they believed was fighting for her life,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.
“If you lie to steal from the generosity of others in Collier County, we will arrest you and hold you accountable.
“This type of scam not only hurts victims financially, it undermines trust in legitimate fundraisers for people who genuinely need help.”
A spokesperson for GoFundMe told The Independent: “GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and anyone who seeks to take advantage of the generosity of others.
“We can confirm fundraisers organized on behalf of Maribeth Jones were removed from our platform, and her account was banned for any future fundraising.
“More than $41,000 was refunded to donors on the platform through GoFundMe’s Giving Guarantee, which offers a full refund in the rare case something isn’t right.”
Kay Ballard, a local resident who donated $100 to Jones’s appeal, told WINK News she felt particularly betrayed because her late husband passed away from cancer.
“I’m really sad she isn’t who I thought she was,” she said.
The sheriff’s office advised the public to do their homework before donating to causes online to ensure their money only goes to verified recipients.
It advised prospective donors to read the comments left by other users, look for regular updates and transparency from the organizer and resist being pressured into giving.