Woman faces six years in prison over Cash App account she never opened

Amanda Smith, a Pennsylvania resident, found herself facing potential jail time after a scammer used a Cash App account in her name to commit a fraud in Arkansas. The account was opened using her Social Security number and date of birth, but Smith claimed she had never interacted with Cash App. Initially, Cash App resisted providing information about the account, citing the need for Smith to prove her ownership.

This led to her arrest in Arkansas, where she was detained for three nights, held with a $50,000 bail that later increased to $70,000. Smith was then extradited to Arkansas for trial, where she was fingerprinted and ordered to pay an additional $20,000 bail before being released. The scam occurred on Facebook Marketplace, where a seller, whose account had been hacked, instructed buyers to send money to Smith's Cash App account.

The money was transferred to other accounts within hours of receipt. Authorities, using Smith's personal information from Cash App, obtained her driver's license and investigated discrepancies in the account details. Smith's lawyer is seeking to have the charges dismissed, but Smith insists she is innocent and has refused a plea deal offered by authorities.