scams

For years, Florida regulators have warned people to be wary of which home repair contractor they hire. The state, a mecca for retirees and a magnet for hurricanes, has long had a reputation as a hotbed for scammers, particularly in seasonal home repair work. But lawyers who specialize in consumer protection say this is not just the result of bad actors and eager marks.

In a time of changing immigration policy, scammers are taking advantage of the confusion and fear. How the lawyers whose identities are being used to defraud immigrants are coping with the onslaught of AI scams.

While online phishing scams aren't new, they've become more pernicious. That's largely thanks to artificial intelligence.

The scam involves criminals impersonating government personnel to solicit fraudulent payments for building permits and development applications.

Local and state law enforcement agencies, along with some local banking representatives, announced the initiative at the Leon County Sheriff's Department Feb. 26.

The Florida Republican senator is leading a bipartisan effort in the Senate to crack down on financial scams targeting older Americans with a bill aimed at equipping local and state law enforcement with more advanced tools and resources to track down scammers.

In a letter sent last week to top Trump administration officials, the Florida senator and members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging demanded coordinated investigations to dismantle foreign fraud networks exploiting seniors, citing $3.4 billion losses and trafficked labor in Southeast Asia in 2023.

Federal immigration authorities say scammers are calling and targeting people with threats of deportation or being tied to drug traffickers in order to get money or Social Security numbers. The feds advice: Hang up the phone.

Older adults often hold positions of power, have retirement savings accumulated over the course of their lifetimes, and make important financial and health-related decisions – all of which makes them attractive targets for financial exploitation.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed nine bills, including a measure (SB 556) that will allow banks to delay disbursing money if employees think seniors or “vulnerable” adults could be getting financially exploited.

A nationwide scam involving jury duty and fines for a claimed non-appearance has prompted an alert from officials of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida.

As you start to gear up for the holidays — whether by shopping or donating — it can be all too easy to fall vulnerable to potential scammers. Here's how to navigate and avoid them.