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Miami Charity Director Scammed by Impostor Meets the Real Rickey Smiley

The case underscores how unverified social accounts with easy payment tools enable impersonation scams.

Overview

  • Denise Kinsler, who leads A Leap of Faith Foundation, was misled by an unverified TikTok account pretending to be Rickey Smiley.
  • She sent $1,200 via Cash App to accounts not in Smiley’s name after promises of sponsorship help and a VIP trip to Dallas that never happened.
  • Miami’s HOT 105 invited Kinsler as a special guest to a meet-and-eat where she met Smiley face-to-face.
  • Smiley warned that fake pages using his name are widespread and urged fans to verify identities before sending money.
  • The City of Miami Police are investigating the fraud, and the $1,200 remains unrecovered.