Never Saw Me Coming

How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System—and Pocketed $40 Million

Author: Tanya Smith

Hardcover

The true story of how a middle-class Black girl from Minneapolis became one of the single biggest threats to the United States banking system

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9th December 2024

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Hardcover

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Summary

The true story of how a middle-class Black girl from Minneapolis became one of the single biggest threats to the United States banking system

Description

'Powerfully entertaining. A true thriller of resilience and defiance' JANELLE MONAE

'Tanya Smith's story is unbelievably bold, captivating, and moving. Never Saw Me Coming is a wild ride from start to finish. She is my hero' ISSA RAE

The true story of how a middle-class Black girl from Minneapolis became one of the single biggest threats to the United States banking system.

Tanya Smith fancied herself a folk hero, a kind of Robin Hood, using her powers of persuasion to buck the system and help the poor and needy.

It started innocently enough, with calls to celebrities' houses with her teenage twin sister. Soon, Tanya realised she could convince utility companies to amend the balances of her friends and neighbours, clearing their overdue electricity bills with a single phone call. Eventually, as she tested the limits and realized she could get past any gatekeeper, she began to understand the power of money and what it could do.

Over the years, Tanya 'confiscated' some $40 million in cash and commodities from US banks, using hacked wire transfers. It didn't take long before the FBI was on her tail. But when interviewing her, they made clear that they were using her to get to the person actually running things - clearly, she wasn't smart enough to do this on her own (Black people she was told, rob people, they don't hack computers).

Thus began a cat and mouse game with the authorities that would drive her to unthinkable limits, breaking the hearts of her parents and putting Tanya's life in jeopardy before finally sending her to Federal prison (where she escaped twice) with the longest sentence ever given for a white-collar crime.

In the spirit of true crime narratives like Catch Me If You Can, Molly's Game, and Ben Mezrich's Bringing Down the House, Never Saw Me Coming is also the deeply personal journey of a young Black woman finding her way in a world that underestimated her brilliance. 'It's a gripping real-life caper from a charismatic antihero. - Publishers Weekly

Critic Reviews

An action-packed chronicle of deceit, betrayal, and greed. Kirkus
Smith is deliciously entertaining company, keeping her foot on the gas all the way through. It's a gripping real-life caper from a charismatic antihero. Publishers Weekly
What an immersive adventure! Tanya Smith's story is one that you would expect to be fiction and is anything but. Throughout this crazy caper and cautionary tale of twists and turns, one thing never changed - I was always wanting her to win. Highly entertaining! Karrine Steffans, New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Video Vixen
A scintillating story of one determined woman. Unforgettable. Sonja Sohn, actress
Unpredictable - thrilling and exciting true story that makes the heart race and the head shake. Love it! Zane, New York Times bestselling author
Unbelievably bold, captivating, and moving...A wild ride from start to finish. Issa Rae
Powerfully entertaining. A true thriller of resilience and defiance Janelle Monae
Never Saw Me Coming will suck you in from the opening chapter . . . Smith's voice, soft but entertaining, ensures your attention until the very last word . . . Never Saw Me Coming will entertain you, bewilder you, even anger you The Telegraph - 4 Stars

About the Author

Tanya Smith was born and raised on the Northside of Minneapolis, where her father ran the Capri Theater, famous for launching the career of Prince. She was inspired by her daughter to write her memoir. Currently, she lives quietly in Southern California, enjoying the peace of suburban motherhood.