Carson Zorn
•8/7/2026
A Collier County woman was arrested on Wednesday after being accused of a fraud scheme in which she lied about having cancer to collect GoFundMe donations. According to a probable cause warrant, between September 2023 and April 2024, Maribeth Jones, now 51, defrauded over 238 members of the Winding Cypress community by lying about having cancer and collecting donations for treatment, which she then used to pay off her outstanding bills. Members of the community filed an incident report with the Collier County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 23, 2024, stating that Jones, who worked as an activities director with the Winding Cypress community, told members of the community that she had cancer, and that she would disseminate false information, such as claiming she was deteriorating, and allowing members to cut her hair under the guise of scheduled chemotherapy treatments. Based on what residents assumed was a real cancer diagnosis, a GoFundMe for Jones was set up on February 21, 2024. Over 238 members of the community donated to Jones through the GoFundMe page, and some donated using cash and personal checks before Jones abruptly left the community and her job in June 2024, the affidavit said. Jones was questioned by authorities on Jan. 15, 2025, and admitted that she did not have cancer, saying she lied to numerous members of the community and collected approximately $30,000 through GoFundMe donations, according to the affidavit. Jones told authorities that she enjoyed lying about having cancer because she liked the attention it brought her, and the adulation she received from those who expressed concern about her condition. While investigating, detectives found that Jones had two additional GoFundMe campaigns launched in 2018, also under the guise of a false cancer diagnosis, according to the probable cause warrant. Detectives found that the total amount of funds listed as GoFundMe deposits to Jones' bank account totaled $40,197.18. Jones was arrested on Aug. 5, 2026, and faces charges of grand theft on a person over 65 years of age, grand theft, and scheme to defraud. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
