Police began investigating David Smith in January 2023 when Stamford police responded to a domestic violence call at a local apartment, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut said. Inside, officers found a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine and multiple safes stuffed with $736,040 in cash, along with 118 credit and debit cards, most belonging to others.

Investigators quickly uncovered what they described as an elaborate fraud targeting food delivery workers.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Smith used several phones to place DoorDash orders. Once a driver picked up an order, Smith would call from a different phone number, claim to be DoorDash support, and trick them into giving him their account information.

Then he took over their accounts and stole the money they had earned, Stamford police said. Investigators believe he did this to more than 700 DoorDash drivers.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the $736,000 in seized cash came from this scam.

On April 30, 2025, the U.S. District Court approved the government's request to officially seize the money via civil forfeiture. That allows the government to start returning the stolen money to the DoorDash drivers who were scammed.

However, due to the high number of victims, federal investigators urge affected individuals to come forward to facilitate the distribution of funds to the rightful recipients.

David Smith never faced trial; he was murdered in Mount Vernon, New York, where he had moved, on January 6, just before his court date. New Rochelle police arrested three men and charged them with shooting Smith multiple times in the chest over a personal dispute, News 12 reported.

Anyone who believes they fell victim to David Smith's DoorDash scam can submit their information to federal investigators for reimbursement.

Click here to learn what officials need to verify your info.

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