A Florida woman pretending to have cancer allegedly conned hundreds of donors into giving her more than $40,000 — and even had community members cut her hair to prepare for her phony chemotherapy treatments.
Maribeth Ellen Jones, 51, was cuffed on grand theft charges this week after an investigation revealed she allegedly scammed 238 Naples residents into believing she was suffering from cancer and donating to bogus GoFundMe campaigns, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
Maribeth Ellen Jones is accused of pretending to have cancer and scamming over 200 people out of more than $40,000. Collier County Sheriff’s Office
Jones, of Bonita Springs, allegedly told the kind-hearted residents that she was undergoing cancer treatment between 2022 and 2024 — and “went to great lengths to make her story believable,” the department said in a statement.
The crook, who worked as an activities director in the community, pretended her condition was worsening and even fooled residents into cutting her hair under the guise of preparing for chemotherapy, police alleged.
The generous community members created a GoFundMe for Jones that linked to her personal bank account, and also gifted her cash and checks.
Jones was also the beneficiary of two previous GoFundMe’s claiming she had cancer. She allegedly used the influx of donations to pay off her personal debts, cops said.
“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 in a statement.
The generous community members created a GoFundMe for Jones that linked to her personal bank account, and also gifted her cash and checks. Seadog81 – stock.adobe.com
“If you lie to steal from the generosity of others in Collier County, we will arrest you and hold you accountable,” Rambosk said. “This type of scam not only hurts victims financially, it undermines trust in legitimate fundraisers for people who genuinely need help.”
Jones turned herself in at the Naples Jail Center after detectives obtained a warrant last week for her to be arrested on the second-degree felony charge.
Police urged residents to verify fundraisers through trusted family members and friends and do their homework before donating.
In a statement, a GoFundMe spokesperson said that all of the Jones’s fundraiser donors have been refunded.
“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,” a GoFundMe spokesperson told The Post.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
