A Florida woman is accused of faking a cancer diagnosis for years and convincing hundreds of people in her community to donate more than $40,000 to help pay for treatment she allegedly never needed.
Maribeth Ellen Jones, 51, of Bonita Springs, was arrested Aug. 5 and charged with grand theft involving between $20,000 and $100,000, according to jail records.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said investigators believe Jones defrauded 238 people in a Naples-area community while working there as an activities director.
Authorities allege that from 2022 through 2024, Jones repeatedly told residents she had cancer and was undergoing treatment.
Investigators said she went to elaborate lengths to make the story appear believable.
According to the sheriff’s office, Jones allegedly claimed her condition was getting worse and even had members of the community cut her hair because she said she was preparing for chemotherapy.
Residents who believed she was seriously ill rallied around her.
A GoFundMe was created to help cover her expenses, and donors also gave Jones cash and personal checks. The fundraising page was connected to her personal bank account, authorities said.
But detectives later concluded that Jones did not have cancer.
Investigators also discovered that she had previously benefited from two other GoFundMe campaigns in which she allegedly claimed to be battling the disease.
Authorities said the money was instead used to pay personal debts.
Jones turned herself in at the Naples Jail Center after detectives obtained a warrant for her arrest on a second-degree felony charge.
Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk called the allegations especially troubling because they targeted people who believed they were helping someone fighting for her life.
“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,” Rambosk said.
He added that alleged scams like this can do damage beyond the money that is lost.
“This type of scam not only hurts victims financially, it undermines trust in legitimate fundraisers for people who genuinely need help,” he said.
GoFundMe said it removed fundraisers connected to Jones and permanently banned her account from future fundraising.
The company also said more than $41,000 was refunded to donors through its Giving Guarantee.
“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and anyone who seeks to take advantage of the generosity of others,” a company spokesperson said.
Jones remained in custody at the Collier County Jail following her arrest.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 31.
It was not immediately clear whether she had retained an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
I wonder how would she react now if she does get cancer
They should have realized something wasn’t adding up, when she remained fat.
Who says entrepreneurship is dead in Amerika?
lol 😂