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Weekly Message from Attorney General Bill McCollum
Every day, millions of children use the internet, and unfortunately internet child predators go online every day and hunt for their next victim. Nationally, one of out every seven children between the ages of 10 and 17 will be sexually solicited over the internet.
Based on the number of complaints that pour into the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s CyberTipline, we know that the number of internet crimes against children is not diminishing. Last week, the number of children reporting online solicitations more than tripled to 731 reported incidents, up from 233 reports two weeks ago. Of the 43,000 children my CyberSafety Education presentation has reached in middle and high schools throughout Florida so far this school year, nearly 3,000 of them tell us they have either been sexually solicited online or have received unwanted images of pornography from offenders – and those are just the ones brave enough to raise their hands.
In Florida, we're committed to fighting these odds. My office has a dedicated CyberCrime Unit which polices the internet, protecting children and bringing down the predators. Last spring, the Florida Legislature saw a need for the CyberCrime Unit's efforts to cover the entire state and gave us the resources to expand our CyberCrime Unit statewide. Since then, we have fully built out our Jacksonville headquarters and have opened a new office in Orlando. Today, we opened our third office, located in Ft. Lauderdale, to serve South Florida.
This office will give us an important presence in a region where we will be joining a skilled and dedicated community of both law enforcement and prosecutors. These cooperative efforts and our partnerships with local, state and federal authorities are essential to combat internet child predators and to enhance our work on a statewide level. Together, we are making Florida a safer place for children and families.
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Citing the need for a statewide approach toward fighting the escalation of predatory crimes against children, Attorney General McCollum opened his CyberCrime Unit's third office in Ft. Lauderdale. The new office follows the openings of the unit's headquarters in Jacksonville and branch office in Orlando last fall. The Attorney General was joined at the opening by members of South Florida's law enforcement community and local and state government officials.
Attorney General McCollum announced that an Orange County man was taken into custody after he traveled to meet someone he thought was a 14-year old girl for sex. Authorities with the Orlando Office of the Attorney General's CyberCrime Unit arrested William Elias Martin, Jr. after Martin, 38, allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an undercover CyberCrime investigator, believing he was talking to an Orlando-area teen. Martin's actions will be charged under the CyberCrimes Against Children Act of 2007, which created a new crime for traveling to meet a child or someone believed to be a child for the purpose of sexually assaulting that person.
To date, the Attorney General's CyberSafety program has reached more than 43,600 students.
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Attorney General McCollum launched a statewide initiative to educate citizens and healthcare providers about the dangers and costs of Medicaid and other healthcare-related fraud. Intended to foster a spirit of cooperation and raise awareness of how to report and avoid fraud and abuse, the presentations will be given by members of the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at hospitals, senior centers and other venues around Florida.
Attorney General Bill McCollum today launched a statewide initiative to educate citizens and healthcare providers about the dangers and costs of Medicaid and other healthcare-related fraud. Intended to foster a spirit of cooperation and raise awareness of how to report and avoid fraud and abuse, the presentations will be given by members of the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at hospitals, senior centers and other venues around Florida.
Attorney General McCollum joined state Senator Alex Diaz de la Portilla (R-Miami) and state Representative Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando), representatives from the U.S. and Florida Chambers of Commerce to unveil proposed legislation specifically designed to combat counterfeit and pirated goods. Attorney General McCollum noted that counterfeiting creates serious health and safety risks to consumers who may unknowingly purchase imposter products such as pharmaceuticals, household products and automobile parts. The Anti-Counterfeiting Act will include enhanced penalties for anyone who knowingly manufactures, possesses or sells counterfeit goods. The legislation also contains a culpable negligence provision which allows for increased penalties for those who disregard human life or safety when they counterfeit goods.
Attorney General McCollum announced that his Economic Crimes Division has filed a lawsuit against two Duval County debt negotiation companies and their owners. The lawsuits allege that Future Financial Direct, Inc., and Provident Financial Services, Inc. deceptively marketed debt management services and charged illegal fees for debt negotiation services which were never provided. The Attorney General noted that his office has received nearly 100 complaints from all over the United States about the two companies.
Attorney General McCollum announced that his office is seeking applications for new appointees to the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, which resolves warranty disputes arising under Florida's Lemon Law. Since 1989, the Lemon Law program has produced more than $350 million in refunds or replacement vehicles for more than 13,300 consumers who bought defective new vehicles. These disputes are resolved by holding arbitration hearings between consumers and manufacturers of new motor vehicles throughout the state. The Arbitration Board must determine whether the consumer's vehicle meets the legal requirements to be declared a "lemon."
Attorney General McCollum filed a lawsuit against a Duval County internet-based furniture business, stating the company has violated a prior settlement agreement and is continuing to engage in deceptive business practices. Leather Depot, which offers custom leather furniture for sale on its website, previously settled allegations of deceptive practices related to furniture delivery, but the Attorney General's lawsuit alleges that the company did not make the requisite business changes and continues to defraud consumers.
Attorney General McCollum joined with federal, state and local government agencies and national consumer advocacy organizations to launch the tenth annual National Consumer Protection Week (March 2-8). The awareness week will highlight consumer education efforts across the nation and encourage everyone involved to become better informed consumers to avoid falling prey to scammers and con artists.
Attorney General McCollum announced that an online yellow pages directory company has reached a settlement with Florida and 25 other states over allegations it used “live” activation checks to subscribe businesses to the directory's listing. Directory Billing, LLC, which does business as USDirectory.com, was sued in late December for allegations that the checks sent out in advertising solicitations did not sufficiently disclose that cashing them would cause consumers to be billed a monthly charge directly to their telephone bill or bank account. The settlement will provide restitution for Florida-based companies that cashed the checks without realizing they would be subscribed to the monthly charges.
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Attorney General McCollum announced the arrest of a Hillsborough County licensed mental health counselor on charges he fraudulently billed the Florida Medicaid program for more than $20,000. James Cusack is charged with organized scheme to defraud and was taken into custody by authorities with the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Attorney General McCollum announced that a Lee County man was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of grand theft, burglary, and identity theft. David Winfrey, 46, must also pay victims more than $11,000 in restitution. He was prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Calling the funding essential to the operation of state crime and drug enforcement efforts, Attorney General McCollum joined 55 other Attorneys General from all jurisdictions of the United States as they collectively called on Congressional leaders to restore funding to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. Byrne-JAG is currently a key source of funding available to local and state law enforcement for multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement, including methamphetamine initiatives, and is a critical source of funds for drug courts, law enforcement collaboration, gang prevention and prisoner reentry programs.
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Attorney General McCollum announced that a U.S. citizen residing in Thailand has been ordered to pay $6.4 million for running an elaborate real estate scam that prevented landowners from selling their property to anyone but him. Todd Teal, 63, was found to have recorded fraudulent affidavits claiming he had an interest in the property, thereby preventing the owner from selling to anyone else. The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General's Economic Crimes division.
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Attorney General McCollum Launches Healthcare Fraud Education Effort
McCollum: CyberCrime Unit Comes to South Florida
Thailand Resident Ordered to Pay $6.4 Million in Real Estate Scam
McCollum, Legislative Leaders, U.S. & Fl Chambers of Commerce Unveil Proposed Bills to Combat Counterfeit and Pirated Goods
Attorney General's Orlando CyberCrime Unit Arrests Sex Traveler
Hillsborough County Licensed Mental Health Counselor Arrested on Medicaid Fraud Charges
Two Duval County Debt Negotiation Companies Sued for Alleged Deception
McCollum: Floridians Have Sweet Deal Under Lemon Law Program
Attorney General McCollum Leads Charge Urging Congress To Pass National Security Measure
Attorney General Sues Internet Furniture Seller for Deceptive Practices, Violation of Previous Agreement
McCollum Recognizes National Consumer Protection Week
Ft. Myers Fitness Club Thief Gets Six Years in Prison
Seminole County Man Re-Arrested, Charged With Possession of Child Pornography
Internet Directory Company Settles With 26 States Over Activation Checks for Business Listings
McCollum, 55 Attorneys General Call on Congress to Restore Funding for Front-Line Crime and Drug Enforcement Efforts
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