Former Facebook Diversity Head Pleads Guilty to $4M Kickback Scheme

Former Facebook diversity program manager, Barbara Furlow-Smiles, has pleaded guilty to stealing over $4 million from the company through a kickback scheme. Furlow-Smiles orchestrated the fraud by creating fake business deals and using PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App accounts linked to credit cards provided by Facebook. She paid friends, relatives, and others for goods and services that were never provided to the company, receiving kickbacks in return. Furlow-Smiles also misled Facebook into paying entities that didn't provide kickbacks. She used the stolen funds to finance a luxurious lifestyle in California and Georgia. Furlow-Smiles is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2024.