Atlanta resident, former Facebook employee admits stealing $4M from Facebook
Barbara Furlow-Smiles (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Former Facebook executive Barbara Furlow-Smiles from Atlanta has admitted to stealing over $4 million from the company through a complex scheme involving fake vendors, made-up charges, and cash kickbacks. The guilty plea was made in response to charges filed by U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.
As the global diversity executive at Facebook (now Meta), Furlow-Smiles misused her position to orchestrate an intricate plan, according to a press release. U.S. Attorney Buchanan stated that she manipulated her role, overseeing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, to exploit the company's funds. Furlow-Smiles had access to company credit cards and the authority to approve invoices.
The fraudulent scheme operated in two ways. First, she linked her Facebook credit cards to accounts on PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App, using them to pay friends, relatives, and associates for services never rendered to Facebook. To cover her tracks, she submitted fake expense reports. These associates, unaware the payments were from Facebook, returned most of the money to her as kickbacks, often in cash.
Secondly, Furlow-Smiles caused Facebook to onboard vendors that were owned by friends and associates. After approving contracts and invoices, she directed the vendors to return a portion of the money to her. The recruited individuals included friends, family, former interns, nannies, babysitters, a hair stylist, and her university tutor. For example, Furlow-Smiles caused Facebook to pay nearly $10,000 to an artist for specialty portraits and more than $18,000 to a preschool for tuition.
(Photo Illustration by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
"Furlow-Smiles used lies and deceit to defraud both vendors and Facebook employees," said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The FBI works hard to make sure greed like this doesn’t pay off and those who commit fraud are held accountable."
In total, Furlow-Smiles stole more than $4 million, funding a luxurious lifestyle in California and Georgia. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation, with Meta providing valuable assistance. Prosecutors for the case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Bernita B. Malloy.