“I was completely confused,” Smith told the outlet. She had never been to Arkansas and wasn’t a very tech-savvy person. Still, the officers took her in handcuffs to the local jail. She would spend three nights there.
Smith would later learn that a scammer had allegedly created a CashApp account in her name and used it to con someone on Facebook Marketplace into sending the account $1,000. The account was made using some of Smith’s personal information.
According to 404 Media, Smith says she is being asked to prove her innocence (rather than the authorities having to build a case against her) — and to make matters worse, Cash App is reportedly refusing to provide her any information about the account because she can’t prove she’s the owner of it.
The case against Smith
A copy of the prosecuting attorney’s affidavit form reviewed by 404 Media shows the account used to scam a victim out of $1,000 was in Smith’s name. Investigators obtained Cash App’s data using a search warrant, which revealed the account used Smith’s Social Security Number (SSN) and date of birth.
Detectives then confirmed the information by obtaining Smith’s drivers license and running her information through a tool used to search public and proprietary records.
According to 404 Media, Smith was charged with computer fraud, unlawful use of a communication device and theft of property.
“I was basically in shock,” Smith told 404 Media, referring to her time spent in jail. After three days, she was taken to court for an extradition hearing where her bail was set at $50,000. She was released and told to appear in court in Arkansas.
After that hearing, authorities took her fingerprints and a mugshot and set another round of bail at $20,000. She was then allowed to return to Pennsylvania.
According to 404 Media, Smith believes her identity was stolen to make the CashApp account. While the account was made using some of Smith’s information, other details don’t match her, including an out-of-date phone number and the wrong address. Data from CashApp also shows an iPhone different from Smith’s was used to make the account — and a Venmo account was made using the same phone number but a different name.
