57-year-old TikTok influencer Amy Dianne Elmore Downs has been arrested for allegedly soliciting one million in donations for fake charity causes.
Per WHNT, Downs is charged with seven counts of first-degree charitable fraud and three counts of tax evasion. On TikTok, she solicited donations through the accounts Slot_7.0 and Slotmachinequeen, accepting taking PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo payments she claimed benefited unhoused people and victims of domestic violence.
As detailed by the Limestone County Sheriff's Office, Downs received a large number of donations from users who saw her content around the world. She later deposited approximately one million into her bank account, which she said were charitable donations. An investigation was launched in October, and authorities found that no charities were registered under her name. Downs is currently being held at the Limestone County Jail with a $1,125,000 bond.
"The investigation revealed that between 2021 and 2024, [Downs] solicited donations for a purported charity to aid domestic violence victims and homeless individuals," LSCO said in a press release. "During the investigation, it was revealed that no legitimate charity existed under Downs’ name. Further research uncovered that no charity had been registered with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, and Downs had not reported any employment since 2020."
Prior to her arrest, TikToker Trey Streets shared a video in which he interviewed several people who claimed they were scammed by Downs. One of the victims said that she had sent receipts to someone planning to take legal action against her on behalf of the victims.
